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reader;

BE intreated to believe me, I had not Jet Pen to Paper about this Contro-verfie,had we hen let alone at quiet in our Chriftian Communion. But being ,ajfaulted for more than fifteen years * wherein the Brethren of the Baptiz,ed-way ( as they had their opportunity ) have {ought to breaks tu in pieces, metrly because we are not in their way all baptised frfl : I could not, I durfi not, forbear to do a little, if it might be, tofettU the Brethren y and to arm them againfi the attempts, which alfo of late they begin to revive upon tu. That I deny the Ordinance ofBapttfm, or that I have placed one piece of an Argument againft it, (though they feign it J is quite wuhout colour of truth. All 1 fay % is y That the Church of Chrift hath not Warrant to keep out of their Communion the Chriftian that is difcovered to be a vifible Saint by the Word, the Chriftian that walketh according tohi$ Light with God. / will not make RefleBions .upon thofe unhandfom brands that my Brethren have laid upon me for this, at that I am a Machivilian, a man devilifl:, proud, irjolent, A 2 prt->

To the Reader.

prefamptuom, and the (ifa ; neither will I fay a* they, The Lord rebuke thee; words fitter to befpokf to the Devil\ then a Brother. But Reader, read and compare, lay afide prejudice and Judge* What Mr. Kiffin hath done in thf matter J forgive, and love him never the worfe, but iriuftjland by my "Principles becaufe they are Jtaceablfo godly\ profitable, andfuch as tend to theEdificatpn of my Brother\ and a* I believe wiH be jufttfied in the day of Judgment.

1 have alfo here pfefented thee with the Opinion of Mr. Henry Jefle, in the Cafe, which providentially I met with y at I tvxi coming to London to put my Tapers to the Prefix and that it was his judgment is Affcrted to me, known many years fine e tofome of the Baptifts, to whom itwaifenty but never yet Anfwered'j and will yet be Attefted if need (hall require. Farewel.

Thine in all Chriftian Service,

according to my Light and Power,

fohn^myan.

differences

< J)

*p «jp qp iff yp tjj** t^* «n^ <u^ c^* 1 f<* t»^* yff «jf» <^> 4^

Differences in Jd^^'w-tcr-Baprifmp B^^Tfdhi.-munion. ^^

YOur feemingly ferious reflections upon that pare of my plain-hearted Con-felfion of Faith, which rendrech a Reafon of my freedom to Communicate with thofe of the Saints and Faithful, who differ from me about tVater-Baptifm, I have read, and confidered y and have weighed them fo well as my rank, and abilities will admit me to do. But finding yours ( if I mi-flake not) farfhort of a candid Replication; I thought convenient, not only to tell you of thofe iwfertlnencles everywhere (battered up and down in your Book j but alio, that in fwj.fimple opinion, your rigid and Church-difquieting-Principles are not fit for any Age and ftace of the Church.

Bat before I enter the body of your Book, give me leave a little to difcourfe you about your Preamble to the lame, wherein are two mifcarriages unworthy jour pretended ferioul-nds, becaufe void of love, and humility.

A 3 The

tfF

The firft is, In that you clofely difdain my Perfon, becaufe of my lor» defcent among men 3 (ligmatrzing me for a Perfon of THAT Rank, that need not to be heeded, or attended unto,

Anfve. What it is that gives a man reverence with you, I know not; but for certain 7 Tie that defpt[eth the Foor y reproacbetb bis Maker : yet a poor man is better than a I jar. To have gay-cloathing t or gold-rings, or the Perfons that wear trtern in admiration; or to-be partial in your judgment, or refpecls, for the fake, or upon the account of flefh and blood, doubtlefs convicleth you to be of the Law a tranf^reflbr, and not without partiality, &c» in the midft of your feeming fan6H«*

Again you fay : / bad not me died with the Contr over fie at allybad I found any of farts that would divert xhemfelves to take notice of YOU. fag. 2.

A. What need you,before you have fhew-

ed one fyllable of a reasonable Argument in

oppofition to what I Aflert, thus trample my

Perfon, my Gifts, and Grace ( have I any j

fo disdainfully under your feet ? What a

W kind of a YOU am I ? And why is MY

l * z Rank fo mean, that the mofl gracious and

godly amons you, may not duly and foberly

confider of what I have faid ? Was it not

the art of the falfe A pottles of old to fay

thus ? to befpatter a man, that his Doctrine

i Cor. ic. might be difrcgnded. Is not this the Car-

J0 ' penter ? and, His fodlly preface is tfeak^axd

co'n~

r

no Bar to Communion* 7

contemptible, did not ufe to be in the mouths of the Saints ; for they knew the fVinl blew Joh.3.5. where it lifted. Neither is it high birth, worldly breeding, or wealth ; but ele&ing love, grace, and the wifdom that comes from Jam ' 3 ' 7 * Heaven, chat thofe who ftrive for ftriftnefs of order in the things, and Kingdom of Chrift, (hould have in regard, and eftcem. Need I reade you a Lecture ? Hath not (joi chosen Coi . f . tbefoolijh, the weak,, the bafe, yea and even 17)2 8. things that are not, to bring to nought things that are ? Why then do you defpife my rd»k> myftate, and quality in the World ?

As for my Confeflion of Faith, wMfch you alfo fecretly defpife, pag. 1. If ic be good, and godly, why may it not be accepted f If I have fpoken evil, bear wltnefs of the evil ; but if well, why fmiteft thou me ? If you, and the Brethren of your way> did think it convenu ent to (hew to the World what you held ; if perhaps by that means you might efcape the Prifon: why might not I, after above 11 years indurance there,give the World a view of my Faith and Pradtice; if peradventure, wrong Thoughts, and falfe Judgments of me, might by thac means be abated, and removed.

But you fugged • I did it, becaufe I veas fo willing to be known in the World by my SIN' CULAR Faith, andPrattlce.

How lingular my # Faith and Practice is, may be better known to you hereafter : but that I did it for a popular applaufe and fame, as your words feem to bear (for tbey proceed from a taunting Spirit ) that will be known A 4 to

Differences' about tPattr^Bxptiftn,

to you better in the day of God, when your evil fdrmizes of your Brother, and my de-x > figns in writing my Book, will be publifhed upon the houfe-tops.

And even now> before I go any further, I will give you a touch of the Reafon of my publifhing that pare thereof which you fo hotly oppofe.

Ic was becaufe of thofe continual AfTaults-that the rigid Brethren of your way, made, not only upon this Congregation, to rent it; but alfo upon many others about us: if per-adventure they might break us in pieces, and draw S)m us Difciples after them.

AiTauIts (1 fay ) upon this Congregatiorr by times, for no lefs than thefe -fixteen or eighteen years : Yea, my felf they kave fent for, and endeavoured to perfwade me to break Communion with my Brethren ; alfo with many others they have often tampered, if haply their feeds of Divifion might take. Neither did they altogether fail of their pur-pofe, for feme they did rent and difmember irom us; but none but thofe, of whom now they begin to be afhamed. The Judgment of God fo following their dengn, that the Perfons which then they prevailed upon, are now a ftink, and leproach to Religion. Neither were thefe Spirits content with that dif* cord they did fow am©ng us, but they proceeded to feize upon others. But to pafs thefe: The wild, and unfound Pofitions they have urged to maintain their Practice, would be too large here to infer t.

Now

no Bar to Communion*

Now, Sir, to fettle the Brethren (the Brethren of our Community ) and to prevent fuch diforders among others, was the caufe of my publishing my Papers : and coniidering my Concern in the Houfe of God, I could do no lefs than to give them warning, That everj man might deliver his Soul.

You proceed, faying, h ** my liforty, at well 04 others into whofe hands it falls, to weigh what you have Jaid in Truths baUance, and if it be found too light, to reject; it whether yo% will or no.

t/infw. Do but grant me, without mocking of me, *cTie-liberty you defire to take, and God helping me, I defire no more to fhift for my felf among you.

As to your faying, that'I proudly and im-prioujly infult, becaufe I fay they are Babes and Carnali that attempt to breaks the Peace and Communion of Churches, though upon better pretences than Water. You muff know I am dill of that mind, and fhall be fo long as I fee the Effects that follow,^. The breach of Love, taking of Chriftians from the more weighty things of (jod \ and to maty them quarrel and have heart-burnings one again ft another.'

Where you are pleafed to charge me with JRaging, for laying thofe Eighteen particular Crimes to the charge of SUCH who exclude Chrifiians from Church-Communion, and debar them their Heaven-born Priviledges, for the want of that, which yet God never made, the Wallof Divifion between w. (pag,n<5.)

Hay,

I fay, when you can prove, That God hath made Water-Baptifm that Wall, and that the ftrefs of the after Eighteen Charges iye wholly and only in that j then you may time e-nough call my language fuch as wanteth Charity: but I queftion though that was granted, whether your faying, I RAGE % will be juftified in the day of Judgment.

My great noife ( as you call it ) about an initiating Ordinance, you fa jr, you JhaN. take no notice of. pag. 3.

&4nfw. i. Although you do not, I muft: For if Baptifm b.e riot that, but another; and if vifibie Saints may enter intd^Feliow-(hip by that other, and are no where forbidden fo to do, becaufe they have not light into Water-Baptifm: it is of weight to be considered by me; yea,and of others too who are unprejudiced.

2. How ignorant you are of fuch as hold it the initiating Ordinance I know not: nor how long you have been of that perfwafion I know nor. This I know, that men of your own Party, as ferious, godly, and it may be more learned than your felf, have within lefs than this twelve-month urged it. Mr. D. in my hearing, did from Rom* 6. 1,2. in the Meeting in Loth bury affirm it: Alfo my much efteemed Friend Mr. D. A. did twice in a Conference with me A flirt ic.

3. But whatever you fay, whether for, or againft,'tis no matter; for while you deny ic to be the entering Ordinance ? you account it the Wall, Bar, Bole, and Door 5 even that

which

which muft feparate between the righteous and the righteous; nay, you make want o£ Light therein, a ground to exclude the moft Godly your Communion, when every Novice in Religion fhall be received into your bofom, and be of efteem with you becaufe he hath (and from what ground Qod knows) fub-mitted to Water-Baptifm.

I am glad that in page 4. you conclude with me what is the initiating Ordinance: but withal, give me leave to correct, as I think, one extravagant expreflion of yours.

You fay, 'lis CONSENT on all bands and 2(0 7 HI NG elfe, that makes them Members of particular Churches, and not Faith and Baptifm. pag. 4.

You might have flopped at [ and nothing elfe ] you need not in particular have rejected Faith: your firft Error was bad enough, what ? NOTHING elfe but Confcnt f What? not fo much as a rcfpetl to the matter or end ? Why then are not all the Communities of all the High-way-men in the Land, truly Con-ffituted Churches of Chrift ; unlefs you can prove that they hold together, but not by con* fent.

What ? Confent and nothing elfe ? But why do YOU throw out FAITH ? why,/ throw out Baptifm \ which becaufe you cannot as to the cafe in hand fetch in again y therefore OUT muft Faith go too. Your action is much like that Harlots, that ftood co x xj n g. ^ be judged by Solomon, who becaufe her own Child was dead, would haye her Neighbours

killed

killed alfo. Faith (Sir) both in thePro-fe(fion and Confeffion of it, is of immediate and alfo abfolute concern, even in the very-ad: of the Churches reception, of this or another Member. Throw out Faith, and there is no fucli thing as a Cliriftian, neither vifible nor invifible : You ought to receive no man, but upon a comfortable fatisfadtion to the Church, that you are now receiving a Believer. Faith, whether it be favingly there or iio, is the great Argument with the Church in receiving any: we receive not men as men, but the man immediately under that fupportion ; He hath Faith, he is a Chriftian. Sir, Confent, (imply without Faith, makes no man a Member of the Church of God ; be-caufe then would a Church not ceafe to be a Church, whoever they received among them. Yea, by this Aflertion you have juftified the Church of Rome it felt, to be to this day both good, and godly, unlefs you can prove that they did at firft, and do now receive their unbelieving Members,without their own Consent.

The Church hath no fuch Liberty to receive men without refpedt to Faith ; yea Faith and Holinefs, mufi be the Effentials, or Baiis, ■ upon, and for the (ake of which you receive rhem : Hoinefs (Ifay) yet not fuch as is circumfrancial, but chat which is fuch in the very heart of it: Pray you in your next therefore word it bectcr , leit while you flight and trample upon me, you (land before all blame-worthy your felt".

The

The Scriptures you fpeak of, I did not in my fir ft (p*£.68.) produce to fhew perfons unbaptized might hold Communion with the Church (though I am fully convinced they may) but to fhew, that knowledge of thofe Perfons, of their Faith and Holinefs in general, ought nrft to be fhewed to the Chuich, befere fhe can lawfully receive them, Atts g.2y,2d, 27. iCor.16. 10.'zCor.S.z^.

As to my Anfwer to a Queition (pag. 70.) which you have at pug. 5-. or yours corrupted, and then abufed : I tell you again, That a difcovery of the Faith and Holinefs, and a Declaration of the willingnefs of a Perfon to fubjedl himfelf to the Laws and Government of Chrift in his Church, is aground fuffici-ent to receive fuch a Member.

But you defcant j Is Baptifm none of the LawsofCbrifi ?

Anjm It is none of thofe Laws, neither any part of them, that the Church, as a Church, fhould fhew her Obedience by. For albeit that Baptifm be given by Chhll: our Lord to the Church, yet not for them to wor-fhip him by as a Church. Shew me what Church.Ordinance it is} and when,or where the Church, as a Church is roprac~tife it, as one of thofe Laws and Appointments that he hath commanded his Church to fhew to him her Obedience by.

Again, That fubmitting to Water-Baptifm, is align or note, that was ever required by any of the Primitive Churches, ol him that would hold Fellowfhip with them ; or that

it

*4 Differences about Water-Baftifm, *

it infufeth fuch Grace and Holinefs into thofe that fubmit thereto, as to capacitate them for fuch a Priviledge ; or that they did acknowledge it a fign thereof, I find not in all the Bible.

I find not (as I told you in my flrft ) that Baptifm is a fign to any, but the Perfon that is baptized. The Church hath her fatisfa&ion of the Perfon, from better proof, CV.2.12, ^<w».6\i,2,3,4. 1 Cor. ij. 20. A&s 2. 3$.

&22.l6\ I Pet.$.2.1.

I told you alfo, That Baptifm makes thee no Member of the Church, neither doth it make thee a vifible Saint $ It giveth thee, therefore, neither right to, nor being of Mem-ierfhip at alt. Why, Sir, did you not Anfwer thefe things? but flip them with others, as if you were unconcerned j troubling your Reader with fuch kind of infinuations, as muft needs be unfavoury to godly ears.

You make the Moral Law none of Chrifts, but Mofes's } not the Sons, but the Servants c -and tell me, becaufe I plead forFaith, and Holinefs, according to Moral Duties Go/pel-tiz,ed ( they are my words, pag**j9.) whereby we ought to judge of the ncnefs of Members ; that therefore Mofes is more beholding to me than Chrift. f*g*6.

Sir, Know you not yet, that a difference is to be put betwixt thofe Rules that difcover the EfTentials of Holinefs, and thofe that in themfelves are not fuch ; and that that of Faith and the Moral Law is the one, and Baptifm, &c. the other?

no Bar to Communion. %g

Is not Love to God, abhorrence of Idols, to forbear Blafpheming, to honour our Parents, to do no Murcher, to forbear Theft, noc to bear Falfe witnefs, nor Covet, &c. are noc (Kay) theie the Precepts of the Lord Jefus, becaufe delivered by Mofes ? Or, are thefc fuch as may better be broken, than for wane of light to forbear Baptifm with Water ? Or, doth a man while he liveth in the negle&of thefe,and in the mean time buftle about thofe you call Gofpel-Commands, moft honour Chrift, or bed fit himfelf for Fellowfhip with the Saints ? Need I tell you, That the Faith of Chrift, with the Ten Commandments, areas much now Gofpel-Commands as Baptifm ; and ought to be in as much, and far more refpeft with the holy ones than that, or other the like.

Yea, (hail I tell you; That Baptifm will neither admit a man into Fellowfhip, nor keep him there, if he be a tranfgreflbr of a Moral Precept; and that a man who believeth in jefus, and fulfilleth the Royal Law,doth more glonfie God, and honour Religion in the World, than he that keepeth (if there were fo many ) ten thoufand figurative Laws.

As to thofe Commands that tefpect Gcd's Inftituted Worfhip in a Churches a Church, I have told you that Baptifm is none of them, and you have been driven to confefs it: The p*£- 4°.«/ Church then muftfirft look to Faith, then toJ 9 "** 9 ** good Living according to the Ten.Commandments • after that fhe mud refpeci: thofe Appointments of our Lord Jefus, chat rcfpccls

her

her outward order and discipline, and then fhe walks as becomes her, finning if fhe neg-Ic&eth either ; (inning if fhe over-valueth either.

But why did you not Anfwer thofe Texts I produced for the ftrengthening of my Argument, viz,. &>». 14.18. Dm.23.47. Jam. 2.8.-—12. 1 Cor. p. 21. &$. 9,10, 11. Gal. 6. 15,16. Phil. 3. 1 Tim, 1.9,10,11. ^fibao. 28, 32. Rom. 1 J. *3« Jrf». 4. 11. 1 Cor. f. 12.

Deal fairly ; Anfwer thofe Texts, with the Argument made upon them ; and when you have after a godly manner done that, you may the more boldly condemn.

You tell me, That in fagev$ of mine,! £ay, None ever received Baftifm mtbout light therein.

What if I did? (as I did not) but you grant it; And now I will ask you, and pray deal fairly in your Anfwer, May a man be avifible Saint without light therein,; May he have a good Confcience without light therein ? And feeing that Raptifm is none of the worfhip that Chrift Inftituted in his Church for them to practife as a Church, rcuift he be kept dark about all other things concerning theWorfhip of God in his Church, until he receive light therein ?

You have anfwered already, fag. 7. That they ought to be a{bamed> and to repent of that abomination (their fprinkling) BEFORE they cime to have a fight of the fattern of the Hottfe efGody the goings in and the comings tm there* $£ £2^.43.10,11. Bu t,

no Bar to Communion* j?

But, Sir, where do you find that want of Light in Water-Baptifm, or becaufe a man hath been Sprinkled,that he is to be kept dark in all other Temple-Inftitutions, til! he be afhamedand repent of that? Pray produce the Texts,for Ez,ekjtl helps you nothing : He fpeakso#/;of the Pattern of the HOVSE, the goings 6Ht> and comings In thereof. As for rhe coming IN", you have already con-fefTed, That Baptifm is not the entring. Ordinance. And as for the Worfhip that Chrift hath Inftituted in his Church, as a Church, I fay (and you a!fo have faid it page 4.0) Baptifm is none of the Forms thereof, none of rhe Ordinances thereof, none of the Laws thereof: for Baptilm is, as co the Practice of ic, that which is without the Church, without the Houfe of God : Then by your own Text, if a man do repent him of his Chriftening in his Childhood, he may be received into Fellowfhip without fubmitting to Baptifm : but I will not ilrain you too far.

You add, // it a Persons Light that glvcth being to a Precept ?

%sfn[rv. Who faid it ? Yet it's his Ligh: and Faith about it, that can make himco do it acceptably.

You ask again, Suppofe men plead want of Light in other Commands i

%/in{vo. If they be not fuch, the forbearance of which, difcapaciates him of Member-ilnp, he may yet be received to Feliow-ihip.

B But

But what if 4 man want Light in the Suffer ? pag.7.

J»fw. There is more to be faid in that cafe than in the other } for that is a part of-thac Worfhip which Chrifi: hath In'lituted for his Church, to be Converfanr in as a Church ; preferring them as fuch, with their Communion with their Head, and with one another as Members of him. The Cup of blejfmg which we bleft, i* it not the Cemmumon of the Blood of Chrifi f The Bread which we bre*k , u it not the Communion of xhi Body of Chrifi f For we being many are one Bready and one Body ; for we are all partakers of that ene Bread y i Cor. 10. 10', 17. Wherefore this being a Duty incumbent on the Church, as a Church j and on every Member of that Body as fuch> they are obliged in that cafe more clofcly to deal with the Members, than in that wherein they are not SO concerned ; and with which as fuch, they have N O-T HI N G to do. No man baptizetb by vii> tueof his OiTkz in the Church; no man is baptized by virtue of his Memberfhip there.

But what if a man want Light in hie Duty to the Poor f pag.o.

*s4nfw. If he doth, God mutt give it him ; I mean to know his Duty as a Church-Member. Now I will add, But what if he that can give a fhilling, giveth nothing? I fuppofe all that the Church can do in that cafe, is but to warn, to exhort, and charge him, and to fhew him his Duty ;> and if he neglect, to (hew" hi'q&j That he that foweth

fcaringlfa

no Bur to Communion. X$>

fptringly, jh*ll not reap plentifully, I Cor.p. 6. But to cue a man off f< r this, as you forward ly urge\ pag .8. would argue that Church ( at lead I think Co ) a little too bold with fo high and weighty a cenfure. I plead not here for the Cburie, but feck to allay your heat : And fhould it be granted that fuch de-ferve as you would have it t this makes no matter to the cafe in hand.

Now whereas you fugged", That Moral Evils are but fins again/} men, pag. 8. You are too much.unadvifcd ; The Moral Evil ( as you call i: ) whether you refpect the breach of the firft or fecond Table, is firft and immediately a fin againft God j and more ;>-fufferable, yea and damnable, than for a man for want of Light to forbear either Baptifm or the Lord's Supper.

But lay you, JVe have now found an Advocate for Sinagaivft GOD> in the breach of one of HIS holy Commands ?

Anfw. As if none of the Moral Precepts were HIS. Bur, Sir, who have I pleaded, for, in the denyal of any one Ordinance of God ? Yea, or for their neglect of it either ? What I fay, is but that men mufl have Light , that they may not do in darknefi^ or Papift-Hke, live by an implicit e Faith.

But I fee you put no difference, between an open breach of the Law, and a forbearing that which to him is doubtful. But I will fuppofe a cafe j There is a man wanes Light in Baptifm, yet by his Neighbour is preited K-: he faith he feeth it not to be his Duty; B z the

the other faithy he fins if he doth it not : Rem. 14. Now feeing wbatfocver is not of Faith, is Sin ; what fhould this man do ? If' you fay, Lee him ule the means: I fay fo too. But what, if whenhehadi ufed it, he ftill continueth dark about it ^ what will you advife him now ? If you bid him wait, do you not encourage him to live in fin, as much as I do ? Nay, and feeing you will not let him for want of Light in that, obey God in other his Institutions, what is it, but to fay, Seeing you live fox want of Light in the neglect of Baptifm, we will make you,whi!e you continue fo, live (though quite againff! your Light) in the breach of all the reft ; And where you are Commanded thus, you; may fliew the place when ycu find it.

Now where you urge, that you are one of them that fay, The Epiflles were writ to particular Churches^ aud fo ferve nothing at ail • for our kind of Communion: Urging further,

. lag p. j~fo at ' lt win y e difficult for me to prove y that they were alfo directed to particular Saints.

Anfw. I wifh there were nothing harder that were good for m'e to do.

But what fhould be tne reafon that our Author, with others of his Opinion, fhould ftictye fo hard to prove all the EpifUcs were wrote to particular Churches ? Why, becaufe • thoic Members were, as they think, every one baptized; and fo the Epillles from which wc •fetch our Arguments for the Love and Con-* cord of Saints, to be only proper to diem«-Iclyes. But if this b£ true, there is virtue

i»dee«$

indeed, and more than ever I dreamed of, in partaking of Water-Baptifm: For if that fliall take away the Epiftles, and confequent-ly the whole Bible, from all that are not baptized; then are the other Churches, and alfo particular Saints, in a very deplorable 1 condition. For he askcth me very devoutly, Whether any unbaptiz,ed Perfons were concerned in thefe Epiflles ? pag.o. But why would they take from us the Holy Scriptures ? Verily , that we might have nought to juftifie our practice withal : For if the Scriptures belong only to baptized Believers, they then belong not to the reft; and in truth, if they could perfwade us to yield them this grant, we iliould but fornly juftifie our practice. But I would ask thefe men, // the Word of God came out from them ? or if [oh 77.1 4 it came to them only ? Or, whether Chrift 1 Cok'i^ hath not given his whole Word to every one 3 6 -that believeth, whether they be baptized, or in, or out of Church-Fellowship ? Job. 17. Or, whether every Saint in fome forr, hath not the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, which are the Scriptures and their Power ?

Would to God they had learnt more mo-defty, than thus to take from all others, and appropriate to themfelves, and that for the fake of thcirobfervinga Circumifance in Religion, 'fo high, and glorious a Priviledge.

But we wall come a little to proof: What Church will this Author find in Rome, that time the Epiftle was fent to the Brethren rhere, Roraitf. hcfidcs that Church that was in Aqu'-l*! *'**''• B 3 houfe,

houfe, although many more Saints were then in che City ? Yea, the Apoftle in his falu-tation at the beginning, imbraceih them only as Brethren, without the leaft intimation of their being gathered into Fellowship; To all that be at Rome, beloved of God, called to be Saints, Grace to you , ejre. Chap. x. 7. To all there, to all in that City, beloved of God, and that are Converted to the Lord Jcfus Chriit. A Church there was in ^fqailas houfe, and that there were many more Saints befides is (and that by the Text) as manifest. Bedde?, considering the Rules that are given them in the 14 and 15 Chapters about their receiving one another, doth yet flrongty fug-geft co me, that they were not yet in fellowship, but as it were now about it, when Paul wrote his Epiflle to them.

The firft Epiitle written to Corinth, was alfo wrote to all them that in every f lace called ttfon the Name of the Lord Jefus Ckrift, Chap.1.2. But it will be hard work for our Author to make it rnanifeft, that none in thofe dayes did call on the TZamc of our Lord , but thofe that were firft baptized.

The fecond Epiftlc alfo, was, not only written to the Church at Corinth, but alio to % Cor.i.x. a fi t k e Saints which were in all ^Achaia. To the Galatians and Theffalonians indeed, his falutation was only to the Churches* there : but the three Epiftles before were as well to all other ; as alfo that to the Ef he fans, Philip-yians, and Calcjfuns, in which the Faithful, and Saints in Chriit Jefus were alfo every one

com- •

comprehended. Befides, Tu what particular Church was theEpillle to the Hebrews wrote ? or the Epiffle of James ? both thole of Peter> and the firlt of John ? Nay, that of John was wrote to fome at that time out of Fellowship, that they might have fellowfhip with the Churchy Chap. 1. i, 2, 3, 4. So that thefe Brethren mult not have all the Scriptures : we have then a like priviledge with all Saints, to ufe the Scriptures for our godly edifying, and to defend our felves thereby, from the aflaults of rhofe that would make fpoyl of us. But to pais this, and come to the next.

You object for that I faid , If Watcr-Baptifm (at tb; Circumflances with which the Church wot peftred of old ) trouble the Peace, and wound the Consciences of the Godly y dif-member and breast heir FeUowfhips j **.*$> */-though an 0rdinay.ee, for the pre]ant prudently to be [hunned. (pag.ScT.)

At this (aslfaid)youobjeil (pag.io>n.) and fay, Did I ever fivd Baptifm a Pefi or Plague,to Churches ? And did ever God fend an Ordinance to bt a Pe(t and Plague to his People ?

I Anfwer; I faid not that God did fend it for any fuch end at all: God's Ordinances are none of this, in themfelves; nor if uled as, and for the end for which Gcd i-\\t them. But yet both Bapf.fm, and the Supper of the Lord, hive ( by being wre'fed our of their place ) b^cn a great ailiicbon to the G.xiiy both in this and ether Ages. Wbat fay you to breaking of Bread, which the Dint, by B 4. abuling)

abufing, made an Engine in the hand of Va» . pfls to burn, ftarve, hang-and-draw thou-fands ? What fay you to John of Leyden f What work did he make by the abufe of the Ordinance of Water-Baptifm ? And I wifh this Age had not given caufe, through the Church-renting-Spirits that (ome are pofTefifed with,'to make complaint of this matter} who have alfo had for their Engine the Baptifm with Water: Yea, your felf Sir, fo far as I can perceive, could you get but the opportunity ,* your felf ( I fay ) under pretence of this innocent Ordinance, as you term it, would not flick to make in-roads, and out-roads too, in all the Churches, that fuit not your fancy, in the Land. For you have already been bold to affirm, That all thofe that have baptised Infants^ ought to be afhameci and repent, before they be (hewed the Pattern of the Hoptfe: And what is this but to threaten, that could you have your will of them, you would quickly take from them their prefent Church-priviledges, and let them fee nothing thereof, till thofe qualifications, efpecially fubje&ibn to Water-Baptifm, was found to attend each of them.

Asro thePerfons you fpeak of, Who have rent Churches in pieces, by making Preaching by Method^ Doctrine^ Reafon and Vfe, to bet Antickriflian^ 'Or, becaufe they could not have other Miniftrations performed after their Fancies ( pzg. n, 12. J the imprudence of fuch va.ith your felves, hath been heart-breaking to many a gracious Soul • zn high Qccafior* - ■ : of

of {tumbling to the weak, and a reproach to the wayes of the Lord. That ic may be pru-, dcntly fhunned, I referred you then for proof, to what fhould be offered after: but at this you cry our.,and fo pafs it.

And now Reader, although this Author hath thus objected againft/tfwr paflages in this my firft Argument for Communion wich Per-fons unbaptized ; yet the body of my Argument he mifleth, and paffeth over, as a thing not worth the Anfwering ; whecher becaufe he forgot, or becaufe he was confcious to himfelf, that he knew not what to do therewith, I will not now determine.

i. I effectually prove, That Baptifm is not the initiating Ordinance, pag. 71.— 7$,

2. I prove, That though it wot-, yet the cafe may fofall out,that Members might be received without it, pag.82, 83. • 3.I prove, That Baptifm makes no man a vijible Saini> nor glvetb any a right to Church-* Fellowjhlp^ pag. 76,

4. I prove, That Faith, and a Life be com-, ing the Law of the Ten Commandments, jhould be the chief and mofi folid Argument with true. Churches to receive Saints to Feliowjhtp,

y. I prove, Ibat CircumcifionintheF/ejh) which was the entring Ordinance of old, was 4 Type of Cixcumcifion in the heart 3 drc.p.j9,8o.

Theie things, with others, our Author let-tethpafs; although in the proof of chem a-feideth the ftrength of this firlt Argument; to which I mult intreac him in his next, to caft his eye, and give fair Anfwer j as alfo to else

Scriptures

%€ Differtnets about tVaur. Baftifm,

Scriptures on which each are built, or he mnft furTer me to fay, I am abufed. Further, I make a qucftion upon three Scriptures, Whether all the Saints,even in the Primitive times, were baptized with Water ? to which alfo he anfwereth nothing} whereas he ought to have done it, if he will cake in hand to Confute. ( The Scriptures are, i 0.1.14,1$;, 16. Rom.6.$. Gal.$.2.7.) Yet we:: they eftc&ually anfwered, my Argument is Nothing weakened.

You come to my fecond Argumeut, drawn from Efb. 4.4,7, 6. Upon which a little more now to inlarge, and then to take notice of your Obje&ion.

The Apoftle then in that Fourth of the JZfhefians, exhorteth the Church there with all lorvlinefs, and meeknefs y with long-fuffering, and forbearing one another, to ENDEAVOUR to keep the Unity of the SPIRIT in the bond of PEAC8, verf. 2, 3. This done, he pre-fents them with fuch Arguments, as might fallen his Exhortation to purpofe upon them.

Thefirft is, Becaufe the Body is ONE ;

li 22" 14. There U one Body 5 therefore they mould not

h&i& divide: For if the Church of Chrift be a

Body, there ought not to be a rent or Schifm

among them.

2. His fecond Argument is, There is one Spirit, or one quickning Principle by which the Body is made to live : for having Ailerted before that Chnft hath indeed a Body, it was meet that hefhewed alfo, that this Body hath li.'c, and motion. Now that life, being none

other, than that nourifhment, or Spirit of life, from which the whole Body fit ly joyned together , and comy&tt, by that which every jeynt fupfly+ ah, according to the efettual working of the meafure in every party makjih incretfe of the body jo the edifying of it felf in love,Eph.q.i6. Now this Spirit, being firft,and chiefly, in the Head,therefore none other but thofe that hold the Head can have this nourishment minijlred to them : Befidcs, This is the Spirit that knits the Body together,& makes it increafe with the m-creafe of God,C*/.2.itf. This is the Unity of the Spirit which he before exhorts them to keep.

3. The third Argument is, Becaufe their Hope is alfo but one. Even as you Are called ( faith he ) in one Hope of your calling : As who fhould fay, Ivly Brethren, if you are called with one calling, if your Hope, both as to the Grace of Hope,' ard alfo the Object, be but one : if you hope for one Heaven, and for one Eternal Life ; then maintain that Unity of the Spirit, and Hope, while here, in love, and the bond of peace.

4. The fourch Argument is, There is one Lord, or Husband, or Prince, to whom this Church belongs : Therefore if wehaveHui-bands but one, Lord, and Prince but one, let us not ren: icto many Parties, as if we had many Husbands, Lords, and Princes, to govern us, as his Wife, hisHoufe, and Kingdom. Is Chripdivided? 1 Cor.i.

C. The fifth Argument is, There is one Vaith, by which we all Hand juftified by one Lord jelus Chi ift ; m fmb by which we

efcape

z% Differences about Water-Baptifm,

efcape the Wrath of God; one Faith by which only they that have it are blefled ; yea, feeing there is but one Faith, by which we are all pat into one way of Salvation, let us hold together as fuch.

6. The fixth Argument, There is one Bap-tifm.

Now we are come to the pinch, viz,. Whether it be that of Water, or no ? which I muft positively deny.

i. Becaufe Wacer-Baptifm hath nothing Co do in a Church, as a Church ; it neither bringeth us into the Church, nor is any pare of our Worfhip when we come there ; how then can the Peace and Unity of the Church depend upon Water-Baptifm ? Beiides, he faith expreQy, It is the Unity of the Spirit, ( not Water ), that is here intended : and the Arguments brought to inforce it, are fuch as wholly and immediately relate to the Duty of the Church, as a Church.

2. Further, That other Text, that treateth of our being baptised into a body, faith ex-y Cor. 1 1. P re fly i c 1S done by the Spirit; For by one I j. Spirit we are all baptized into one body, I Cor.

12.1 6. Here is the Church prefented as under the notion of a Body ; here is a Baptifrn mentioned, by which they are brought, or initiated into this Body : Now that this is the Baptifm of Water, is utterly againft the words of the Text; For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body: befides, if the Baptifm here be of Water, then is it the initiating Ordinance ; but the contrary I have

proved,

proved, and this Author Hands by my Doctrine. So then, the Baptifm here, refpecting the Church as a Body , and Water having nothing to do to enter men into the Church, r.or to command them to praclife it as a Church, in order to their Peace, or Communion, or refpecting the Woifhip of God as fuch : And ( I fay again ) the Baptifm in the fixth Argument, being urged precifely for no other purpofe, but with refpcft to the Churches peace as a Body j it mult needs be THAT Baptifm, by virtue of which, they were initiated, and joyned together in one: and that Baptiim being only that which the Spirit executeth 5 this therefore is that one Baptifm.

7. The other Argument is alio efTe&ua]; There is one God and Father of all, who is a- yer(.6> hove ally and through all, and in you all. If wc are one Body ; if to it there be but one Spirit ; if we have but one Hope, one Faith, and be all baptized by one Spirit into that one Body -j and it we have but one Lord, one God, and he in every one of us j let us be alfo one : and let them that are thus qualified, both joj'n together, and hold in one*

But our Author againft this, objeclcth, That, now I imploy my Pen againft every man ; and give the lye to all Expoftors, for they hold this one B-tptifm, to be none other than that of Water, pag.13.

Anfw. What if I fhould alfo fend you to Anfwcr thofc Expojitors that expound certain Scripture* for /^/4»r-Baptifm, and that by

them

$o Differences about Water+Bafti{m t

them brand us for Anobaptifts ; muft this drive you from your belief of the Truth > Lxpofcors I reverence, but muft live by mine Kab.».4. OVOn fattb: God hath no where bound him -kU to them more than to others, withrefpeft to the revelation of" his Mind in his Word.

But it becomes not you to run thus to Ex-

p oft tors, who are, as to your notions in many

Ifa.8. 20. things, but of yefterday : To the Lav?, and

Pfal.8.2. to the Tefiimony : For out of the mouth of

Babes the Lord hath ordained ftrength.

But you bid me tell you, What I mean by Spirit'B*ptifm ?

Anfw. Sir, you miftake me, I treat not here of our being baptized with the Spirit, with refpe&to its coming from Heaven into us ; but .of ttyit acl: of the Spirit, when come, which bapttz,eth m into a Body, or Church : It is one thing to be baptized with the Spirit in the fir ft fenfe ; and another to be baptized by it in the fenfe I treat of: for the Spirit to come upon me, is one thing ; and for that when come, to implant, imbody, or baptize me into the body of Chrift,is another.

Your Queftion therefore is grounded on a a miftake, both of my Judgment, and the words of the Apoftle. Wherefore thus I foon put an end to your Objections (pag. 14.) For the Spirit to come down upon me u one thing $ and for the Spirit to baptize, or im-planc me into the Church, is another : for to he pofteffed with the Spirit, is one thing ; and to be led by that Spirit, is another* t con-dude then y Seeing the Af'gunWfi tikifl from 1

no Bar to Communion* * t

that one Baptifm, refpe&eth Church-Fellow-fhip properly ; and feeing Water-Baptifm medleth not with it as fuch; it is the other, even, that in i Cor* 12.16. that is here intended, and no other.

But you add, If nothing but extraordinary Gifts are called the baptifm of the Spirit in a ftritt fcnfe^ then that baptifm, 1 Cor. 12. muft be fVater-bapti[m } as well a* that in the Epbe/tans.

HoW : You make your Conclusions before you have caufe } Firft prove that in the Epbe-fians co be meant of Water-baptifm, and that the'Bapcifm in iOr.i2.i(J. is the Baptifm you would have it j and then conclude my Argument void.

That it is the Baptifm of the Holy Ghojft according to the common notion, / fay not ; for you to ajfert it is the Baptifm of Water, gives the lye to the Text: But that it is an act of the HolyGhoft, baptizing the Saints into a Body, or Church, you will hardly be able to make the contrary appear to be truth.

But behold, while here you would have this to be Baptifm with Water, how you contradict and condemn your own Notion : You fay Water-baptifm is not the entering Ordinance ; yet the Baptifm here is fuch as bapti-zeth us into a Body : Wherefore before you fay next time that this in 1 Cor. 12. io\ is meant of Water-baptifm ; affirm, that Water-baptifm is the initiating or entering Ordinance, that your Opinion and Doctrine may hang betcer toge:her,

Wc

Differences about PVater-Baptifm,

We come to my third Argument; which is to prove. It is lawful to hold Church-Communion with the godly fincere .Believer, though he bath not been baptised with Water, hecavife hs hath-the DOCTRINE of Baptifms,Htb.6. Which Dstlrine I dillingiiilh from the Pra-Blce6{ it ; the Doctrine being that which by the outward-fign is prefented to us • or which by the outward-circumftance of the a6t is preached to the Believer, viz,, the Death of Chrift, my death with Chrift; alio his Re-iurredtioii from che dead, and mine with him to newnefs of life. This our Author calleth one of the ftrangefl ParadoJces that he hath LIGHTLY objerved.

Anfw. How light he is in his Observation of things, I know not: This I am hire, the Apoftle makes mention of the Doctrine of Baptifm } Now that the Doftrwe of a man, or Ordinance, is the fignification of what is Preached, is apparent to very fenfe. What is Chrift's Dodtrine, Paul's Doctrine, Scripture-Dodtrine, but the Truth couched Under the words that are fpoken ? So theDodlrine of Baptifm, yea and the Doclrine of the Lord's Supper, are tliofe Truths or Myfteries that fuch Ordinances preach urito ns. And that the Dotlrlne of Baptifm in this feofe, is the great end for which that, and the Lord's Supper was inftituted, is apparent from all the Scriprures : it is that which the Apoftle feeketh for in that eminent rixth of che Romans, Know you not that fo many of hs as were baptized into Jefta Chrifl, were baptized into

his

no Bar to Communion. + *

hu Death ? Therefore we are buried with him by Baptifm , that like at Chrift was raifed from the Dead by the Cjlory &f the Father ; fo wc fbould walk^ in new Kefs of Life. For if we have been planted together in the like-nefi of his Death, we fhali be alfo in the like-nefs of his Refurrcftion, Rom.6\3,4,5-. What is here difcourfed, but the Do&rine of, or that which Baptifm teacheth ; with an intimation, that that was the chief, for the fake of which that Shadow was Inftituted ; as alfo that they that have the Docrrine^ox that which is (igniffed thereby , they only muft reign wich Chnft.

Again, This is that which he feekech for among the Corinthians ; // the dead rife not at all, faith he, why then were yon baptized for the dead ? 1 Cor. 15-. 22. Why then were you baptized ? what did Baprifm teach y Whas DoBrine did it preach to ycu? Further, Buried with him in Baptifm^ wherein alfo you are r if en again wuh him^ throttoh the Faith of the operation of (jod, who raifed him from thi dead. What is here in chief aliened, but the Dottrine only which Water-baptifm preacheth ? with an intimation, that they, and they only, are the faved of the Lord, that have heard, received, and that live in this Doc-lrine, CoL 2.12, 15.

The Came may be faid of the Lord'i Supper, i: alfo hath its Doctrine. Buc again ft this oiir Author objeCteth, faying, That th^ the Dottrine of Baptifm^ 1 am jet to !

*s4n[#. Your ignorance of the Truth makes it no: an Error: But I pray you, what is the Dottrine of Baptifm, if not that which Baptifm teacheth, even that which is Signified thereby? As that is the Doctrine of Chrift, and the Scriptures; which he and they teach as the mind of God.

But vou fay, / took^ths Doclrlne of Baptifm to be the Command, that a Believer fhouldbc b apt ifed, for fuch ends at the Gofpel expref-feih*

Anfo. .To afTert that a figurative Ordinance is of God, is one thing • but the Do-Urinal Signification of that Ordinance is another : A man may preach the Command, yet none of the Dotlrine which Bapcifm preach-eth, The Dotlrlne lyeth not in the Command, but the myftery difcovered to Faith, by the a6l.

You objeel, If the %efurreUlon be the Do-Brine of Baptifm-) why doth the Apoftle make that % and the Dotlrine of Baptifm, things di-ftinUy in Heb.6\

Anfw. The Relurreclion (imply considered, is not the Doctrine of Baptifm, but Chri(Vs, and mine by him. Befides, there is more in it than the Myftery of thisRefur-le&ion ; there is my death firft, and then my j riling with him.

But you add, VrMrthe Law, alltheSa-l crifices of that Dijpenfatiori, with their Sabbaths y were Types of that Chrlfl y who was the ftiiftar.ee of ail thofe Ceremonies. If any of them thsn that frofejfed Faith in the Mejfias

-

m Bar to Communion. gy

to comfy fhould upon foruplety or want of pretended Light) negletlthe whole , or part of tb*t Typical fVorjhip ; why may not a man fay of them, as this Advocate of the Pratlice under Debate, they had the richer and better Sacrifice.

Anftv. Firft, That the Brethren which re-fufe to be baptized, as you and I would have them, refufe ic for want of pretended Light, becomes you not ro imagine, unlefs your boldnefs will lead you to judge, that *#men wanzfincerity, that come not up to our judgment. Their Confcience may be better than either;o«r/or mine; yet God, for purpofes beft known to himfelf, may forbear to give them convidtion of their Duty in this particular. Bat w hat ? Becaufe they are not baptized ; have they not Jefus Chrift ? Or,muft we now be afraid to fay Chrift: is letter than Water-baptifm ? Yea, God himfelf for the fake of this better thing, hath fufTcred in his Church a fujpenfton of fome of his Ordinances, yet owned them for his truly Con-llituted Congregation. What fay you to the Church in the Wildernefs ? I touched you with it in my firft, but perceive you lilted not to meddle therewith. That Church received Members, the way which was not prefcribed by, but directly againft the revealed Mind of God ; yet flood a true Church, their Members true Members^ alfo that Church in that {fate, was fuch before whom, among whom, and ro whom God continually made known himfelf C 2. CD

to be their God, and owned them for his peculiar treafure.

And now I am fain upon it, let me a little inlarge-: This Church, according to the then Inftituted Worfhip of God, hadCircumci-fionfor theirentering-Ordinance,(j^. 17. i3> 14. without which it was unlawful to receive any into'Fellowship with them : yea, he that without it was received, was to be cut off, and call out again. Further 5 As to the Paffeover, the Uncircumcized was utterly forbidden to cate it, Exod.12. Now if our Brethren had as exprefs prohibition to juftifie their groundless Opinion, as here is to exclude the Uncircumcifed from the Communion of the Church and the Paffeover ; (I fay ) if they could dad iz written, No Hnbaptiz,ed Perjon jhall enter, no 11 nbaptized Per [on [haH eat of the Sapper } what a noifc would they make about it? But yet let thcReader obferve,that although Circumcifion was the entering-Ordinance, and our Author faith Baptifm is not ; yea, rhough this Church was expreily forbidden to receive the Uncircumcifed ( and we have notafyliable now to forbid theUnbaptized ) yet this Church received Members without, and other wife than by this entering-Ordinance. They alfo admitted them to the Pafle-cv.'r; yea, entertained, retained, and held Communion with them fo long as forty years without it. I fay, again, That the number of this fort of Communicants was not fo few as fix hundred thoufand. Moreover^ to thefe Uncircumcifed was the Land of Canaan given,

yea, a pofleflion of part thereof before they wereCircumciled ; but the old Circumcifed ones might not enter therein. 1 am the larger in this, becaufe our Auchor hathover-1 my firft mention thereof. And now I ask. What was the reafon that God continued his Pretence with this Church notwithstanding this cranfgreffion ? Was it not becaufe they had that richer and better thing, the Lord Jefus Chrifl ? For they did all eat of that [pi-ritual Bread , and drank^ of that [piriiucil Rock which followed them, and that Rock was Chrifl, i Cor. io. Iconfeis I find them under rebukes and judgments in the Wilder-nefs, and chat they were wartimes threatned tobedeftroyedj but yet I find not Co much as one check for their receiving of Members Uncircumcifed, Further, In the NcwTe-ftament where we have a Catalogue of their fins • and alfo of their punifhment for them j we find not a word abcut Circumcifion, nor the fmalleft intimation of the leafl rebuke for neglecting the entering-Ordinance, i Cor.io. y, io. I will therefore fay of them, as I have alfo fa id of my Brethren, I he) bud the richer and.beiter thing.

But you object, That this pttttetk the vt), of God's Inflituted V/or[hip both under the L andGc[pely to the klghefl uncertainties, p. 17. Anfw. This putceth our Oppofcfs, out of their road, and quencheth the flame of their unwarrantable zeal. For if the entering-Or-cmance, if the Ordinance without which n might be added to the Church, ;

C 5 laid

% laid afide for forty years; yea, if more than fix hundred thoufand did Communicate with them without it: I fry again, If they did it, and held Communion with God, that nou withstanding ; yea, and had not (that we read of) all that time, one fmall check for fo doing; why may not we now enter Communion, hold Communion, maintain Communion, Church-Communion, without being judged, and condemned by you ? becaufe we cannot for want of Light be all baptized before; efpecially coniidering Baptilm makes no man a Saint, is not the entering-Ordinance, is no part of the Worfhip of God injoyned the Church as a Church. To conclude. Although we receive Members unbaptized, we leave not God's Inftituted Worfhip at uncertainties, efpecially what he hath commanded us as his Church ; we only profefs our Want of Light in fome things ; but fee no Word to *- warrant the forbearance of our Duty in all, for want of perfwafion in one.

You object, / call Baptijm a Circttmftance^ afhtw, an outward (hew, I NICK-NAME it.

Anfa. D^ep reproof! But why did you not fhew me my evil in thus calling it, when oppofed to the Subftance, and the thing fig-niried? Is it the Subftance, is it the thing jignified f And why may not I give it the Name of a Shew ; when you call it a fymbolc, and compare it'to a Gentleman's Livery?

■ ' But

r.o Bur to Communion. But you fay, I call it an OVTfvARD

(hew.

A.ifw. Is ic an Inward one? What is it?

It is a Command ?

Anfw. But doth that inftali it in that place and dignity, thac was never intended for k ?

You object further, They cannot haze the Votlrine of Baptifm that under ft and not cur way of admlmftri ng it . [ a g. 18.

This is your mitlake, both of the, T>oUr\n and Thing it fclf. But if you will SCORN co cake NOTICE of me, I ad-vife you again co confidcr, That a man may find Baptifm to be Commanded, may be informed who ought to adminifter it: may al-fo know the proper Subject: and that the manner of baptizing is Dipping ; and may defire to praitiie ic becaufe it is Commanded, and yet know nothing of what Water- baptilia preacheth} or of the Myltcry baptifm fhew-eth co Faith. Bu: that the Votlrine of Baptifm is no: the Practice of it, not the outward act, but the thing fignified j and thac every Belie-ver hath that, muft argue you more than i o bold to deny it.

But fay you, Who taught you to divide h:-ttlxt Chrift and his Precepts, that joh word it at [nch a rate ? That he thac ham the oof, &c.

An ftp. To fay nothing of T Word: verily flit Chrift be ray Righteo vfnifs, and c 4

ter ; if Chrift be my Advocate,and not Water ; if there be that good and blefTednefs in Chrift, that is not in Water ; then is Jefus Chrift better than Water ; and alfo in thefe to be eternally divided from Water $ unlefs we will make them Co-Saviours., Co-Advocates, and fuch as are equally good, and profitable to men.

But fay you, / thottght that he that Bath Chrijlyhad an orderly right to all Chrifl's <Pro-mifes and Preempts $ and that the Precepts of Chrift, are fart of the riches that a Believer hath in and by Chrift.

Anfw. A Believer hath more in Chrift, then either Promife or Precept ; but all Believers know not all things, that of God are given to them by Chrift. But mufl not they life, and enjoy what they know, becaufe they know not all ? Or mult they neglect the weightier matters, becaufe they want Mint, and Annife, and Commin ? Your pretended orderly right is your fancy ; there is not a - fyllable in the whole Bible, that bids a Christian to forbear his Duty in other things, becaufe he wanteth (.as you term it) the fym-bole, or Water* baprifm.

But fay you, He that dejplfeth his Birth-right of Ordinances , our Chttrch-priviledges , will be found to be a prophane Perfon^at Efau, in God^s account.

Baptifm is not the Privilcdge of a Church,

as fuch. But what ? are they all ESAWS

indeed ? Mail we go to Hell, and be dam-

\i for want of Faich in Water.baptifm ?

And

no Bar t9 Lommttnion. ^t

And take notice, I do not plead for a defpljing of Bapnfai, but a bearing with oar Brother, that cannot do it tor wan; of Light . The beft of Baptifm he hath, *//£,. the fignificati mi thereof; he wantech only theou'.warc! jhew, which if he hs.d, would not prove him a rruly vifiblt Saint; it would not tell me he had ilie Grace of God in his heart \ it is no Character riltical note to another of my Sonfliip with God.

But why did you not Anfwer thefe parts of my Argument ? Why did you only cavil at words? which if they had been left out, the Argument yet ftands good. He that is no", baptized, if yet a true Believe?-, loath the Doctrine of Baptifm ; yea, ht ought to have it before he be Convil\ed y it is his duty to be baptised, or elje he playetb the Hypocrite. There is therefore no difference between that Believer that is, and he that is not yet baptised with Witter ; but only his going down into the Water, thtre to perform an outward Ceremony of the S*b[lance which he hath already ', which yet he is not Commanded to d? with rtjpei Membership with the Church ; bm to obtain by that further under ft an ding of his Pripihdffe by Chrift, which befere he made Profc/fun of, tbfkt as a vifible Believer.

But to come to my fourth Argu i , which you (o tenderly touch as if v. burnt y fingers: I am bold ( fay I ) to have Communion with vtfi'cle Saints as before, because Go£ . hath Communion with them, whofe examp!e x in the cafe we are ft

Re c five

Rom. i $.y Receive ye one another, at Chrifi fefus bath received you, to the glory of God. Yea, though they be Saints inOpinion contrary to you,or I.

Rom.if.i' We that are prong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,, and not to pleaje our [elves. Infirmities that are Sinful: for they that are Ts^atural, are incident to all. Infirmities therefore they are, that for want of Light, caufe a Man to err in Circumftantials : And the reafon upon which Paul groundeth this ad-

,Verf.$. monition is $ For Chrifi f leafed not himfelf, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me*

You fay to this, pag. 20. That it is Paul's diretlion to the Church at Rome how to receive their Brethren Qhurch~ Members , pag. 2Q. I anfwer.

1. What? are not the poor Saints now in this City ? are not they concerned in thefe inftrudlions ? or is not the Church by thefe words at all directed how to carry it to thofe that were not yet in fellowfhip ? A bold Af-fertionl but grounded upon nothing, but that you would have it fo,

2. But how will you prove that there was a Church, a rightly conftkuted Church at JRime, befides that in Aquilas houfe ? Chap* io\ Neither doth this Epiftle , nor any other in the whole Book of God aftirm it. Befides, fince Paul in this laft Chapter falutech the Church, as in this Mans houfe, but the o-ther only as particular Saints, it giveth farther ground of Conviction to yju, that

thefe

thofc others were not as yet imbodyed in fuch a fellowfhip.

3. But fuppofe there was another Church befides j it doth not therefore follow, that the Apoftle exhorteth them only to receive perfons already in fellowfhip j but bim, even Rom. 14.1 every 6/10, that there was weak^in the Faiths

but not to doubtful difputations.

4. Suppole again, The receiving here exhorted to> be fuch as you would have it; yet the %ule by which they are directed to do it, is that by which wc perceive that Chrift hath received them : But Chrift did not receive them by Baptifm, but as given to him by the Father : Him therefore concerning whom we are convinced, that he by the Father is given to Chrift, Him fhould we

receive*

j. But what need I grant you that which cannot be proved ? yet if you could prove it, it availeth nothing at all j becauic you may not, cannot, ought not to dare to limit the Exhortation to receiving of one another into each others affections only; and not alfo receiving Saints into Communion.

But you object : To make God's receiving the Rule of oar receivings in all c^jes will not bold. pag.2T.

An(w. Keep to the thing Man : If it hold inthecalein hand, it is enough, the which you have not denyed. And that i: iiolds thus, is plain , becaufe commanded. Buc let the Reader know , that your putting in that way of his receiving which is inviiibic to

us, is but an unhandfome ftradling over my Argument, which treateth only of a vifible • receiving; fuc'h as is manifeft to the Church : This you kne.v, but (ought by evading, to turn the Reader from confidering the ftrength of this my Argument. The recei- 3 ving then ( faid I, p.2o.) becaufe it isfet an example to the Churchy is fuch as mufl needs be i vifible unto them ; and is befl dij'covered by that * word that deferibeth the vifible Saint : who jo thenyou can judg a vifible Saint\one that w&lkr eth with Gody you may, nay ought to judg by the fame Word, God hath received him. Ttyrv him that God rcceiveth, him jhottld you receive. But will any object ', they cannot believe that God receiveth the unbaptized Saints ? I will not fuppofe you fo much flupified, and therefore ihall make no anfwer. But you feem to be much offended, becaufe I (aid, Vain Man ! *£hink not by thefiralghtnefs of thine Order in outward^ and bodily conformity to outward and, fbadorvijh Circumjtances , that thy peace is maintained with Cfod ?

But why fo much offended at this ?

Becaufe, you intend by this the Brethren of the Baptised way.

A. If they be vain Men, and fee up their

OWN Order} bow ftraight foever they

make it, they are worthy to be reproved : //

Jer.S,p. ffey fo avg re j e ft e( l t k e ft' orc i 0 ftl )e . J^ or ^ f w hat

wifdom is in them. And as y.otyfuggeit the fail ,1 affirm the fecond. But if you would be raftihed in excluding diofc, with whom yet you tee God hath Communion, becaufe

yet fee not a fhadow with you; ptoduce the Scripture for fuch Order, that vvc may believe it is the Order of God : But deal fairly, left we ilicw your nakednefs, and others fee your fhame.

You tell me of the Order of the Colcffians, Chap, 2.5-. bur if you can prove that thac Church -refufed to hold Communion with that Saint whom they knew to be received by Chriif,, and held Communion with him, or that none but thofe that are baptized are received by, and hold Communion with him f then you jiiftifie your Order. In the mean while the whole of mine Argument {lands firm againfl: you j Tou muft have Communion with viftble Saints, becaufe God hath Communion with them, whefe Exam-pie in the Caje we are flrittly Commanded to follow.

Bu: you ask me, If outward and bodily Conformity be become a crime ? pag.23.

t/fnfa.' I no where faid it: But know that to glorifie God with our bodies, refpedt-eth chieriy far higher and more weighty things than that of Water-baptifm, whatsoever is Rom.14; not of Faith is Jin ; and to fet up an Ordinance, though an Oidinance of God, that by it the Churches may be pull'd in pieces, or the truly Vrfible Saints excluded Communion with their Brethren ; 1 fay again, To 11 Water-baptifm a bar and diviiion betwixt Saint and Sunt, every.whit otherwile gracious and holy alike : This is like f^fling for ftrife, and debate, and to fmite with the0 of wickfdnefs $ and is not to be found within

the

jf.6 Differences about tVattr-Bapufm,

the whole Bible, but is wholly an order of your own deviling. As to the Peace you make an Objection about (/>*£.23*) you have granted me wha r . I intended ; and now I Eoh 21 a ^ further, That for Church-peace to be -2. ' founded in Baptifm, or any other external PhiU.r, Rite, not having to do with the Church as a hS' Church, is poor Peace indeed : Church-

peace is founded in blood j and love to each other for Jefusfake; bearing with, and forbearing one another, in all things Circum-ftantial, that concern not Church-worfhip as fuch: And in my other I have proved that Baptifm is not fuch, and therefore oughc not to be urged to make rents and divifions a-mong Brethren.

But you ask, Is my peace maintained in a way of difobedience ? and conclude if it be 9 you fear it isfalfc* pag.24.

A. Ihhtfirfl were true,you need not to doubt of the fecond $ but it may be thought he hath little to fay in the Controverfie, who is forced to ftufF out his Papers^ with fuck need-lefs prattles as tbcfe*

My fifth Argument is, That a failure in fuch a Circumflance a* Watcr-bdptifm y doth not utt'Cbriftian us 5 This you are compelled to grant, pag.25. And I conclude with your words, Perfons ought to be Chriftians before, vifible Chriftians; fuch as any Congregation in the Land may receive to Communion with themfelves, becaufe God hath fhewed lis that he hath received them. Receive him to the Glory of God: [ To the Glory of God ]

is put in on purpofc, to (hew what difhonour they bring to him, who defpife to have Communion wirh fuch, whom they know do maintain Communion with God. I fay again, How doth this Man, or that Church glorific God, or count the Wifdom and Holinefs of Heaven beyond them,when they refufe Communion with them, concerning whom yet they are convinced, that they have Communion with God.

But my Argument you have not denied ; nor medled with the Conclusion at all \ which by That there forty even btcaufe a failure here, doth not un-Chriftian w, doth not make w in-fincere ; and I add, Doth not lay ui of en to a-nj revealed judgment or dl/pleafare of God ; (it it dothjlhew where) therefore it fhould not % it ought not to make tu obnoxious to the dtjplea-fure of the Church of God.

Bntyonfay, Irank^ Gofpel-Precepts,mth Old-Teftament abrogated Ceremonies, pag^j.

Anfw. Youftiould have given your Reader my words, that he might have judged fr©m my own mouth : I (aid then ( [peaking before of Chriftianity it felf, pag.94.) that ihoufands of thoujands that could not Confent to Water* at we, are now with the innumerable company of Angels , and the Spirits of jufl men made perfeci. What was faid of Earing, or the contrary, may as to this be faid of Water-baptifm ; Neither if I be baptized, am I the better ? neither if I be not, am I the worfe ? not the better before God, not the worfe before Men 5 Hill meaning as Paul, Provided I

walk

47

walk according to my Light with God; cu therwife 'tis falfe. For if a man that feech it to be his Duty, (hall defpifingly neglect it; or it he that hath not Faith about it, fhall iboiiihly take it up: both thefe, are for this the worfe ; I mean, as to their own feiife, being convicted inthemfelves, as tranfgreflbrs. He therefore that doth it according to his Light, doth well; and he that doth it not, for wane of Light, doth not ill '■> for he ap-proveth his heart to be fincere with God, even by that his forbearance. And I tell you a-gain, Ir. is no where recorded, that this man asunder any revealed threatning of God, for his noz being baptized with Water, he not having Light therein, but is admitted through his Grace to as.many Promifes as you. l[ zherefore lie be not a partaker of that Circum-ftance, yet he is of that Liberty, and Mercy, by which you Rand with God.

• But that I praitife Inftituted Wotfhip, upon the fame account as Fatil did Circumcifi-on, and /having, is too bold for you to pre. fume to imagine. What ? Becaufe I will not fufTer Water to carry away the Epiilles from the Chriftians; and becaufe I will not let Wa-ter-bapnim be the Rule, the Door, the Bolt, the Bar, the Wail of Divifion between the Righteous, & the Righteous; mult I thercfote be judged to be a Man without Confcience to theWorfhipof Jcfus Chrift ? The Lord de-Jiver me from Superfluous, and Idolatrous thoughts about any the Ordinances of Chrdt,and of God. But my filch Argument

ftandech

ftandeth againft you untouched; you have noc denyed , much lefs confuced the lead lylfable thereof.

Yuu tcil me my fixih Argument is, Edifice

A. It it be, why isic not imbraced ? But my own words are thcfe ;

I am for ho'ding Communion thus ; be-caufe the Edification of Souls in the Faiib , and bolincfi of thcGofpel U ofgreater concern than an agreement in outward things j I fa^ 'tu of greater concern with us, and of far more profit to our Brother, than cur agreeing tn y or contefling for Wa'.tr~bapti[m , Joh. l6\ 13. i Cor. 14. 12. 2 Cor. 10.8. Chap. 12. 19. Ephef. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2. Chap. 8. 1. Now why did you not take this Argument in pieces, and anCwer thofe Scriptures, on which the nren^th the eoF depends; But if to con-teft, and rail out about Water-bap.iCin, be better than to edfte the Houfc oftood, produce the Texts, that we may be informed. You fay; Edification is the end of all Qcm-mtinlon , but all things mufi be dons m Order j orderly, pag. 26.

Anfvr, When y< u have proved that there is no fiich thing as an orderly edifying of the Church without Water-baptifm, precede, then it will be time enough to think you have faid Comet hing.

You add ; Edification as to Church-fellon*-(hi p being a building up, do n fupfofe the being of a Church ; but pray you [hew in a Chuch without Baptifm. p,26.

D A.

Vlfertnces about Wdtir-Baptifm,

A. See here the fpirit of thefe Men, who for the want of Water-baptifm, have at once un-Churched all/#df> Congregations of God in the World ; but againft this I have, and do urge, That Water- baptifm giveth neither being, nor well-being to a Church, neither is any part oi that Inftituted Worfhip of God, that the Church, as fucb, fhould be found in the Practice oL Therefore her Edification as a Church may, yea and ought to be attained unto without it.

But you fay, Shew us a New-Tcflament-£ hutch vplthmt Baptifm. pag.26\

A. What fay you to the Church all a-long the Revelation quite through the Reign of Antichrift ? Was that a New-Teftament* Church, or no ?

Again, If Baptifm be without the Chnrch, 5s a Church, if it hath nothing to do in the Conftituting of a Church; if it be not the door of entrance into the Church, if it be no part of Church -worfhip as fuch * then, although all the Members of that Church were baptized, yet the Church is a Church without Water-baptifm. But all the Churches in the New-Teftament were fuch: Therefore, &c.

Again, If Baptifm refpecl: Believer, as particular Perfons only ; if it refpeefs their own Confciencconly; if it make aman no vi-fib-c Believer tome, then it hath nothing to go with Church-member fhip : Becaufe, that which refpects my own Perfon only, my own Conference only : that which is no Character

• of

no Bar to Communion. ji

of myvifible Saintfhip to the Church, cannot be an Argument unto them to receive me into fellowfhip with themfelves. But this is true, Therefore, &c.

You proceed, If by Edification, be meant the private increafe of Grace, in one another, In the ufe of private means, a* private Christians in meeting together ; how doth the Principle yon oppofe hinder that? Endeavour tomakf men as holy at yon can, that they may be fated for Church-fellowship , when God jhali /hew them the orderly way to it. pag.26.

Anfa. What a many private things have we now brought out to publick view ? Private Chriftians, private Means, and a private increafe of Grace. But, Sir, Are none but thofc of your way the publick Chriftians > Or, ought none but them that are baptized to have the publick means of Grace ? Or, mud their Graces be increased by none but private means ? Was you awake now ? Or, are you become lo high in your own phantafies, that none have, or are to have but private mears of Grace? And, are there no publick Chriftians, or publick Chriitian-Meetings, but them of your way ? I did not think that all but Baptifts, ihouJd only abide id holes.

But you find fault becaufe I [aid, Edification is greater than conttfling about Water-baptifm. pag.27.

A. If it be not,confute me • if it bc,forbcar

to cavil. Water-baptifm, and all God's

Ordinances, are to be ufed to Edification }

D 2 not

'D'jferepces abont Water*Baj>tifm f

nor ro beget heats and contentions among, the liy, wherefore Edification is beft.

Object. / had thought that the Preaching, penwa Bipttfoi flight have been reckoned a f*rt ;f o.'ir Edification.

tyirfv. The ad of Water-baptifm hath not place m Church-worfhip, neither in \\ hole nor \n part; wherefore prefimg it upon the Church is to no purpofe at all*

Obcct. Why ma) yon not m well [ay that Edifi:#.tioxugreater than breaking °f Bread.

Axfvc. So it is, clfe that (hould never have been Inftituced toeditie withal; thac which ierveth, is not greater than he that is ferved thereby. Bapnfrn and the Lord's-Supper both, were made for us, not we for them • wherefore bo;h were made for our Edificati-tionj but no one for our deftrudtion.

But again, Tne Lord's-Supper, not Bap-ciim 3 is for the Church, as a Church ; therefore as we will maintain the Church's edifying, that mutt be maintained in it ; yea, ufed oft, to mew the Lord's Death till he come, 3 Cor.11.22.26.

Befidcs, becaufc it is a great part of Church-worfhip, as fuch, therefore it is pronounced blefled, the Lord did openly bltfs it before he gave it; yea and we ought to biefs Jt alio :, ( The Cup of blcfting which we blefs) not to fay more, Therefore your reafoning from the one to the other will not hold.

Object. How comes contefimg for Water* I apt ifm to be (0 much againfl you f

Awfw,

no Bay to Commnmon. j 3

Anfw. Firft, becaufe weak Brethren cannot bear it; whom yet we arc commanded to receive but not to doubtful difpurnrion -doubtful to them, therefore tor theii -lakes. { mutt forbear it. Rom. 14. 1.

Secondly, Becaufe I have not feen ay good effect, but the contrary, where-ever fuch hot Spirits have gone before me : For where Envie and Strife is, there is Con-fulion (or Tumults) and every Evil-work. Jam.^.i6 y ij.

Thirdly, Becaufe by the Example of the Lord, and Pattl> we muff. confider the preicne Hate of the Church, and not trouble them with what they cannot bear. Joh % 16. 13. 1 Cor, 3. 1,2, 3.

I conclude then, Edification in the Church is to be preferred above what the Church, as a Church, hath nothing co do wichai. All things ( dearly beloved ) are for our Edifying. 1 Cor. 14. £. & 12. 2.6. 260r.12.1p. Epcf.^.26. Rom.ij'2. 1 Or. 14. 3. 2 Cor. 10. 8. & 13% io. Rom. 14. 10. Before l wind up this Argument, I preicnt you with feveral Inftances, fhewing that fome of the brccah oi God's Precepts have been born with, When they come in competition < Edification. As Firlt, Tharof Aaron, let the Offering for Sin be burnt, that lliould have indeed been eaten, Ltvit.io. Yet becaufe he could not do it to his Edification, Mofes was content. But the Law was thereby tranfgrcfi'ed, Chap. 6.26. The Prief! ■ oftercth it for Sin, ilmll eat it.

D 3 To

To this you Reply, That vpm not a conftant, continued, forbearing of. God\ Worfhip, but a fufptnding of it for a feafon.

i/infrv. We alfo fufpend it but for a feafon 5 when Perfons can be baptized to their Edification, they have the liberty.

But fecondly, This was not a bare fufpen-Hon, but a flat fcranfgreifion of the Law : Ye ihould indeedliavc eaten it: Yet Mofes was content. Levit.10.16.— -20.

But fay you, Perhaps it was fujpendfd upon jufl and legal grounds , though not exprtffed.

Anfvo. The exprefs Rule was againit. it; Tefhould indeed ( faid Mofes) have eaten It in the Holy place, as I commanded^ verf. 18. But good Sir, are you now for unwricten verities ? for legal grouuds,though not exprefled ? I will not drive you further, here is Rome enough.

As for Eldad and Me dad, it cannot be de-nyed, but thac their edifying of the People, was preferred before their conforming to every Circumftance. Nnmb. H .i6\—-26\

i' You add, That Paul for a feeming low thing did withftand Peter.

Sir, If you make but a feeming low thing

of DifTembling,' and teaching others fo to do

5al.2. u 3 ( especially whefe the Doctrine of Juftificati-

l > l h on is endangered) I cannot expect much good

Confcieace from you.

As for your Anfwer to the cafe of Hez>e~ S#*ij it is faulty in two refpe£ts :

1. For thac you make rhe Pafleover a Type of the Lord's Supper, when it was only a

Type

no Bur to Communion. $ y

Type of the Body and Blood of the Lord: For even Chrift our Paffeover is Sacrifice for us. i Cor. j. 7*

2. In that you make it an Example ro you to admic Perfons unprepared to theLord's-Supper. fag.19.

An[w. May you indeed receive Perfons into the Church unprepared for che Lord's-Supper y yea, unprepared for chat, with other fo-lemn Appointments ? For fo you word ic, page ip. O what an Engine have you made ol Water-baptifm.

Thus, gentle Reader, while this Author ceareth us m pieces for not making Baptifm the orderly Rule for receiving the Godly, and Confciencious into Communion; he can receive Perfons if baptized, though unprepared for the Supper, and other folemn Appoint-mems? I would have thee confulc the place, and fee if it countenanced] fuch an ad, Thac am:n whopleadeth for Watcr-baptifmabove the Peace and Edification of the Church, oi^ht to be received (althoughunprepared ) into the Church to the Lord's-Supper, and o-cher folemn Appoincmencs,efpeciallv consider-ing the Nature or" right Church-Conilitucion, and the feverity of God towards chofe thac came unprepared to his Table of old. i Cor. 11.28,29,30. A Riddle indeed, Thac the Lord fhould, withou: 2 word, fo feverely command, that all which want Light in Baptifm, be excluded Church-priviledaes ; and yet againit his Word, admit oi Perfons uo-D 4 pre-

Differencesabout PVater-Baptifm,

prepared, to the Lord ? s Table, and other fo-lemn Appointments.

But good Sir, why fo fhort-winded ? why could not you make the fame work with the other Scriptures, as you did with thefe ? I muft leave them upon you unanfwered ; and landing by my Argument conclude, That if Laws and Ordinances of old have been broken, and the breach or them born with (when yettheOhfervation of outward things was more fhictiy Commanded than now ) if the Profit and Edification of the Church come in competition ; how much more may not we have Communion, Church Communion, when no Law of God is tra(ifgre;:ed thereby. And note, That all this ^vhile I plead not ( as you ) for Perfons unprepared, bur gbclly, and hich as walk with God.\

We come now to my feventh Argument, for Communion with the Godly, thoughiin-fcaptized Perfons j which you fay is lAve* f>sg.2 9t X

My Argument is this; Therefore 1 am for Communion thus ; becaufe Love y which above all things we are Commanded to put on, is of much more worth than to breaks about Bapiijm. And let the %eader note, That of this Argument you deny not fo much as one fyllable, but run to another ftory; but I will follow you.

I add further, That Love is more difcover-ed when we receive tor the fake of Chnft, thai wl en we refufe his Children for wane of VV«iter : And tell you again, That this

Eriior-

no B*r to Communion. *j

Exhortation to Love is grounded rot upon Baptidn, but the rucrir.gonof the new Crea-tuie, which ha:h fwallowed up all diftmcli-

. f o/.3.9. —14. Yea, there are ten Ar-gum? ts in this one, which you have noc fo much as rouched ; but chus obje6t, That man tha mikjs Afrth'on the Rttie of his walk'ir,g y ra h r <b*u jtiigmtnty it u no wonder tf he go cue of he way,

slnfa, Love to them we arc perfwa ded tha: God hath received, is Love chat is guided by Judgment } and zo receive theiti that arc fuch, oe.aufe God hath bidden us ( Rom.i^S) is Judgment guided by Rule. My Argument therefore hath fbreftalled all your hoifc, and ftandeth ftill on ics legs again!* ycu.

As to the Ducies of Piety, and-Charity youboaftof, pag. 30. found noc aTrumper, tell noc your left hand of it- we are talking now of Communiou of Saints, Church-Communion, and I plead that e Love,, and hold together as iuch, is better than to break in pieces for wane of YVacer-bapcidn. Mv r Jleafon is, becaufe we are exhorted in ail things to put on Love ; the Love of Church-Communion : concrariwife you onpofe, X-bove all things put on Water. For the bell Saint under Heaven that hath not that, with him you reiufe Communion. Thus you make Baptifm, chough no Church-Ordinance, a bar to fhut out treGodfy, and a Trap door ro let the unprepared into Churches , to the Lord's-Supper, and other folemn # Appointments. p*g.*9>

But

But you object, Mufi our Love to the un-baptiz,ed indulge them in anattef difobedi-enee f Cannot we love their Perfons, Parts, graces, but we mufi love their Sins ? pag.30.

Anfw. We plead noc for indulging. Buc are there noc with you, even with you tins againft the Lord your God ? 2 Chro».z$.io. But why can you indulge the Baptifts in many acts of difobedience ? For to come unprepared into the Church, is an acl; of difobedience: To come unprepared to the Supper isana&of difobedience ^ and to come fo alio to other folcmn Appointments, are adts of difobedience.

But for tbefe things, you fay, you do not cafiy nor keep any out of the Church.

An fa. But what a&s of difobedience do we indulge them in ?

In the Sin of Infant-baptifm.

*Anfa. We indulge them not; but being Commanded fo bear with the Infirmities of each other, fuffer it ; it being indeed in our eyes fuch ; but in theirs they fay a duty, till God ihall other wife perfwade them. If you be without infirmity, do you full throw a (tone at them : They keep their Faith in that to themfelves, and trouble not their Brethren therewith : we believe that God hath received them; they do not want to us a proof of their Sonfhip with God ; neither hath he made Water a Wall of Divifion between us, and therefore we do receive them.

Obj. / i#kj it to be the higheft all of friend [hip to- be fphhjul to tbefe Profejfors^nd to till them

tin y

they want thu o»c thing in Gojpel-order, which ought not to be left anion* pag 50.

Anfw. If it be chc higheft piece of Friend-fhip, to preach Water-baptifm to unbaptized Believers, the loweft ad thereof mull: needs be very low. But contrariwife, I count ir (o far off from being any a& of Friendfhip, to prefs Baptifm in our Notion on thofe that cannot bear it; that it is a great abufeof the Peace of my Brother, the Law of Love, the Law of Chrift, or the Society of the Faithful. Love furTereth long, and is kind, is not eafily provoked : Let us therefore follow after the things that make for Peace, and things wherewith one may edifie anothet : Let every one of us pleafe his Neighbour , for his good to Edification : Bear you one anothers burdens, and fo fulfil the Law of Chrift. 1 Cor, 13. Rom. 14. ip. Chap. iy. 2. CjaL 6.2.

But fay you, / doubt when thU comes to he weighed in God's baBance, it will be found no left than flattery, for which you will be re-proved, pag.31.

An[w. Ic fcems you do but doubt it,where-fore the Principle from which you doubt ic, of that methinks you fhould not be certain ; but this is of little weight to me } for he rhac willprefume to appropriate the EpftUes co himfeif and fellows for the fake of Bapifm, and that will condemn all the Churches of Chrift in the Land for want of Baptifm and that will account his Brother as prophanc Efau (fag. 20. ) and rejected, as Idolatrous

Epbraim

go Differences about Water.Baphjm,

Efbraim (pag.32.) becaufe he wanteth his way of Water-baptifm; he acts out of his wonted way of rigidnefs, when he doth but doubt, and not affirm his Brother to be a flatterer. I leave therefore this your Doubt to be refolved at the Day of Judgment, and in the mean time trample upon your har(h> and unchriftian furmifes.

As to our Love to Christians in other cafes, I hope we fhall aifo endeavour to follow the Law of the Lord ; but becaufe itrefpe&s not the matter in hand, it concerns us not now to treat thereof.

My Argument treateth of Church-Communion; in the profecution of which I prove,

1. That Love is grounded upon the new Creature, Col.$.9,&c.

2. Upon our fellowship with the Father and Son, 1 Job. 1.2,3.

3. That with refpea to this, it is the fulfilling of the Royal Law > Jam. 4. 11. Rom. 14.21,

4, That it fhews it felf in a&s of forbearing, rather than in pubhftiing fome Truths: Communicating only what is profitable, forbearing to publfhing what cannot be born, 1 Cor. 3. 1,2. ABs 20. 18, 19, 20. Job.

16. 17. r t% n .

j. I fhew further, That to have fellowihip for, to make that the ground of, or to receive one another chiefly upon the account of an outward Circumftance ; to make Baptifm the including, and excluding Charter; the

Bounds,

Bounds,Baij&:Kule of Communiorijwhcn by the Word of the everlafting Teltament, there is no Word for ic ; (to fpeak charitably^ it' it be not for want of Love , it is for wanrof light in the Myfteries of the Kingdom of Chrift. Strange ! Take two Chriftians e-qual in all Points biit this ; nay, let one go beyond the other in Grace and Goodnefs, as far as a Man is beyond a Babe, yet Water fhall turn the Scale, fhall open the Door of Communion to thelcfs; and command the other to ftand back : Yet is no proof to the Church of this Babes Faith and Hope, hath nothing to do with his entering into fellow -fhip, is no part of the Worfhip of the Church. Thefc things fhould have been anfwered, feeing you will take upon you' fo roundly to condemn our practice.

You come now to my eighth Argument; which you do not only render falfly, but by fo doing abufe your Reader. I faid not that the Church of Corinth did fhut each other out of Communion; but, For God's People to divide into Parries, or to {hut each other from Church-Communion, though for greater Points, and upon higher Pretences, than that of Water-bapcifm 5 hath heretofore been counted carnal,and thea£tors therein Babifh-Chriftians; and then bring in the Factions, that was in the Church at Corinth. But what' May not the evil of denying Church-Communion now, if proved naught by a lefs crime in the Church at Corinth, be counted Carnal and Babjfh ; but the breach of

Com-

Communion muft be charged upon them at Corinth aifo^

#tiat my Argument is good you grant, 32. faying, TheDivifions at the Church at Corinth were about the higbefi Tundamen-t aI Principles^ for which they are often called, carnal i yet you cavil at it. But if they were to be blamed for dividing, though for the higheft Points: Are not you much more for condemning your Brethren to perpetual ba-nifhment from Church-Communion, though found in all the great Points of the Gofpel, and right in all Church-Ordinances alfo, becaufe for want of Light they fail only in the Point of Bapcifm ?

As to your quibble about fattl and Apollo ^ whether they, or others, were the Perfons (though I am fatisfied you are out) yet it weakeneth not my Argument ; For if they were blame-worthy for dividing , though a-bout the higheft Fundamental Principles ( as you fay) how ought you to blufh for carrying it as you do to Perfons, perhaps, more godly than our felves, becaufe they jump not with you in a Circumftance ?

That the divifions at Corinth were helped on by the abufe of Baptifm, to me is evident, from Paul's fo oft fuggefting it; Were you baptized in the Name of Paul ? / thank^God I baptized none of you, left any (hould fay y I had baptized in my own Name.

I do not fay, that they who baptized them defied this, or chat Bapcifm in it felf tfelted it; nor yet ( though our Author feigns it )

that

that they were mo ft of them baptized by their Faftiotu Leaders, pag. f f. But that they had their Factious Leaders, is evident; and that thefc Leaders made ufe of the Names of Paul y Apollo, and Chrift, is as evident ; for by thefe Names they were beguiled by the help of abufed Baptifm.

But fay you, Wherein lies the force of this mans Argument againft Baptifmai to its place> worthy and continuance f

I anfwer ; I have no Argument againft its place, worth, or continuance, although thus you feck to fcandalize me. But this kind of imcerity of yours, will never make me one of your Difciples.

Have nc: I told you even in this Argument, That J (peak not a* I dojo per (wade or teach men to breaks the lea ft of God's Commandments ; but that my Brethren of the Baptized-way may not hold too much THEREUPON^may not make it an EJfential of the Gofpel, nor yet of the Communion of Saint j.Yet he feigns that I urge two Arguments againft it, p. 3 6. & 3 8. But Reader, thou may ft know 1 have no fuchrcafon in my Book. Befuks, lfhould be a Fool indeed, were I againft it, fhould I make ufe of fuch weak Arguments. My words then are thefe;

/ thank. God ( faid Pant ) that I baptize^, none of yea but Cnfpus, &c TS(ot but that then it wot an Ordinance, but they abufed it in making Parties thereby*, at they abufed alfo Paul, and Cephas. Btfides ( (aid he ) / knQw not whether I baptized any other. By this negligent relating who were baptized by him j he

fkcwcib

*4 Differences about JVater-Bapttfm,

(hewetb that be made nofnch matter thereof\ M fome in thefe dajes do. Nay, that he made no matter at all thereof with refpecl to aChurch' Communion. For if he did not heed who him-felf had baptised, much lefi did be heed who were baptised by others ? But if Baptifm had been the initiating-Ordinance , (and I novo add) Effential to Church-Communion ; then no doubt he had made more Confcience of if, than thus lightly to pafi it by.

I add further, where he fairh, He was net fenr to baptize; that he (pake with an holy Indignation again ft thofe that had abufed that Ordinance. B*ptifm is an Holy Ordinance, but when Satan abufeth it, and wrencheth it out of its place, making that which is Ordained of Cjod, for the Edification of Believers, the only Weapon to break. iu pieces the Love, 1 Cor.j.f, Unity , and Concord of the Saintt ; than as Paul ^7 faid of himfelf, and fellows, What is Baptifm ?

Neither u Baptifm any thing ? This is no new Ifiui. ii, DoBrine^ for God by the month of the Prophet 11,13,14, of old) cryed qui againfl his own Appointments, x *' when abufed by his own People, btcdpfe they

ufed them for fir if e, and debate, and. to fmite Ifa.j8.4. with thefijj of wicfydneft. But to forbear, to take notice thus of thefe things, my Argument (lands rirmagainit. you : For if they at Corinth wc*e bhme-wortby for dividing 9 though their divifons were (ifyou (aytrue) about the highefl Fundamentals, you ought to be afhamed, thus to banifh your Brethren from the PnvHedges of Church-Communion for ever, for the want of f§ low a thing as Water-

baptifm.

no Bar to Communion. €f

baptifm. I call ic not low, with refpecl to Gods appointment, though To, ic is far from the higheft place, but in comparifon of thofe Fundamentals, about which, you fay, the Corinthians made their divifions.

You come ncxc to my ninth Argument,and fervc it as Hanun ferVed David's Servants, 2 Sam* 10. 4. you have cut oft one half of its Beard, and its Garments to its Buttocks, thinkig to fend ic home with fhamc. You ftate ic thus;

That by denying communion with unbapu^tt-"Believers, you take from them their Frivi-ledges to which they are born, pag. 40.

Anfw. Have I fuch an Argument in all my little Book ? Are not my words verbatim thefe ? // we (hall rejetl vifible Saints by callings Saints that have cemmUnion with God ; that have received the Law at the hand of Chrifl 'j that are of an holy converfation 4-rnong men, they defirmg to have communion with us ; at much a* in w lyeth, we take from them their very priviledges, and the bleffings to which they were born of God*

This is mine Argument: now confute if.

Paul faith, (1 Cor, 1.1, 2. & ?. 22.) not only to the Gathered Church at Cortntb, but to all fcattered Saints, that in every place call upon the Name of the Lord, that fefus Cbrijt u thiirs ; that Paul, and Apollo, and Cephas, and the World y and all thing* elfe was theirs.

But you anfwer Wcx*ke from them no* thing) but we h'P them from a diforderly pra^ diet of G of pel-Ordinances , r?e offer ther*

B thfir

their frivilcdges, in the way of (jofpel-Or-Aer.

A»[w. Where have you one word of God, that forbiddeth a perfon, To qualified, as is fignified in mine Argument, the bed Communion of Saints for want of Water ? There is noc a iy liable for this in all the Book of God. So then, you in this your plausible defence, do make^your Scripturelefs Light, which in very deed is darknefs, (I[a. 8. 20, 21.) the Rule of your Brothers Faith; and how well you will come off for this in the D-*y of God, you might, were you not wedded to your wordlcfs Opinion, foon begin to conceive.

I know your Reply, Ntw-Teft*mtnt Saints were all baptiz.(d firfl,

Anfo. Suppcfc it granted; Were they baptized, that thereby they might be qualified for their right to communion of Saints, fo that without their fubmitting to Water, they were to bedenyed the other ? Further, Suppofe I fhould grant this groundlcfs Notion, Were not the Jews in Old Teftament times to enter Ctn. 17. the Church by Circumcifion ? For that, Bceod. a. though Water is not, was the very entering-Ordinance. Betides, as I faid before, there was a full forbidding all that were not circum-cifed from entering into fellowfhip, with a tlueatning to cut them off from the Church if they entered in without it: Yet more than fix hundred thoufand cntred that Church without it. But how now, if fuch an one as -you had then flood up and objected, Sir

Mofes y

Mofes f What is th: reafon that you rranfgrefs the Order of God, to receive Members without Circumcision ? Is not that the very en-tring-Ordiriince > Are not you commanded to keep out or the Church all that are not cir-cumcifed ? Yea, and for all thofc that you thus received, arc you no: commanded to caft them out again, to cat them off from d-mon^tbid people? (Gen. 17. 13,14. Exod.iz. 2 4> 2 *>2<S.)

I fay, Would not this man have had a far better Argument to have refifled Mofes, than you in your wordlcfs Notion have to (hut out men from the Church, more holy than many of our felves ? But do you think that Mofes and Jofhua, and all the Elders of Ifrael, would have thanked this Fellow, or have concluded that he (pake on God's behalf ? Or, that they fhould then, for the fake of a better than what you call Order, have fet to the work chac you would be doing, even to break the Church in pieces for this ?

But fay you, If any mil find or force another way into the Sheep-fold, than by the fcot-fteps of the Flocks, vet have no fttcb cttjlom not the Churches of God, pag. 41.

Anfw. What was done of old, I bats fliewed you, that Cfcr//?, not Baptifrn, is the way to the Sheep-fold, is apparent ; and chat theperfon, in nriiue Areumenr, is intituled to all theie, to wir, Chrifr, Grace, and all the things of the Kingdom of Chrift in the Church, is, npon the ScriptttKS urged, -> evident.

But

But you add, That according to mine old confidence, 1 affirm, That drinks ye all of thu y & intailed to Faith, not Baptlfm: A thing, fay yen, foon faid, but yet never proved.

Anjiv. i. That it is intailed to Faitb, rauft be confefTed of all hands. 2. That it is the i Corai. priviledge of him that drfcerneth the Lord's ** Body, and that no man is to deny him it, is

alio by the Text as evident, (and fo let him eat) becaufehe is worthy. Wherefore he, and he only that difcemeth the Lord's Body, he is the worthy Receiver, the worthy Receiver in God's estimation ; but that none dif-cern the Lord's Body but the Baptized, is both fond and ridiculous once to furmife.

Wherefore to exclude Chnftians, and to debar them their Heaven-born Priviledges,for want of that which yet God never made the Wall of Divihon betwixt us: This looks too like a Spirit of Persecution, (Job ip. 2y, 2tf, 27,28, &c.) and carrieth in it thofe eighteen abiurdities which you have fo hotly cryed out againft. And 1 do ftill add, Is it not that which greatly prevailed with God to bring down thofe judgment s y which at prefent we (the People of God) groan under, I will dare to fay y *ArJfo it it wo* * A caufe thereof: Yea, I will yet pro-

*% cc™ J cced ' 1 kar > I & xon % [ Y fear > that the Rod of

lu't fori] ^*od ,S n0t y et C0 De ta ^ en ^ rom US > * 0r wnat

the Prm- more provoking fin among Chriitians, than to

ttr j?uitin deny one another their Rights and Priviledges

H,e * to which they are born of God ? and then to

Father thefe their doings upon God, when

yet he hath not commanded it, ^either in the

New Teftament nor the Old ? But

But, T mty not lightly pafs this by, for bc-caufe I have gathered eighteen abfuidiri:-, from this abufe of God's Ordinances, or from the fin of binding the Brethren to obferve Order, not founded on the Command of God j (and I am furc yon have none to fhuc out men as good, as holy, and as found in Faith our felveSj from Communion ). Therefore you call my Conclufion devlli[h, ( pag. 43. ) Top-ftil of ignorance y and prejudice, (p. 4 T .) and me, one of Machiavels .Scholars, (p.42. ) alfo proud, prefumpnous, impeaching th-Judgment of God.

Anfw t But whac is there in my Proportion, that men, confilerafe, can be offended at ? Thefc arc my words; Bat to exclude Christians from Church-Communion, and to debar them their Heaven-born Priviledgcs y for the want of that which jet God never made a wail of dtvifion between ut: This lookj too like a Spirit of Perfection : This rtfpetletb more the form t thin the fpirit and power pf God linefs^ &c. Shall 1 add, Is it not that which greatly prevailed to bring down thofe Judgments which at prefent we feel and groan under ? / will dare to fay, it was a caufe thereof, (p. 116, 117.) A, was in my Copy, inftead whereof the Printer put in the ; for this, although! i] only the truth, I will no: beg of you belief j befides, the Bookfelier dehrcd me, becaufeot the Printers hafte, to leave the Jail: fhee: to be over-looked by him, which was the caufe i; was not among the Errata's.

But, I fay, wherein is the Proportion. E 3 often-

offcnfive ? Is ic not a wicked thing to make bars to Communion, where Cod hath made none f Is it not a wickednefs, to make that a Wall of Drvifion betwixt us, which God never commanded to be fo. If it be not, juftffie your practice j if it be, take mame. Befides, the Proportion is pniverfal, why then fhould you be the chief intended ? But you have in this, done like to the Lawyers of old, who when Chrifl reproved the Pharifees of wickednefs before them, (aid, Mafler, thus faying thou reproacbeft m alfo, Luk.il.45.

But you feign, and would alfo that the World fhould believe, that the Eighteen Ab-furdities which naturally flow from the Proportion, I make to be the Effects of Baptifm, faying to me, None but your felf could find an innocent Truth big with fo many monftroue Ab-furdities. pag.42.

iAnfwer^ This is butfpeaking wickedly for God, or rather to juftifie yourwordlefs Practice. I fay not that Baptifm hath any Abfurdity in it, though your abufing it, hath them all, and many more, while you make it, without warrant from the Word, as the flaming Sword, to keep the Brotherhood out of Communion, becaufe they after jour manner cannot confent thereto.

And let no man be offended, for that I iug-geft that Baptifm may be abufed to the breed* ing fuch monftrous Abfurdities, for greater Truths than that have been as much abufed. What fay you to> This is mj B°dy f To in-flance no more, although I could inftance

many.

many, arc not they the words of our Lord ? arc not they parr of the Scriptures of Truth ? and yet behold, even withthofe words, the Devil by abttfir.? them-) made an Engine co let out the heart-blood cf thoufands. Baptjfm alfo may be aoufed, and is, when more is laid upon it by us, than is Commanded by God. And that you do (o y is manifeft by what I have faid already, and lliall yet fay co your Fourteen Arguments.

My laft Argument, you fay is this;

The World may wonder at your carriage to thofe linbaptiz,ed PerJons y in keeping them out of Communion ?

Anf. You will yet fet up your own words, and then fight againft them : but my words arc thefe, what greater contempt can be thrown upon the Saints^ than for their Brethren to cut them off from y or to debar them Cburcb-Communion I

*\ And now I add, Is not this to deliver trrem to the Devil, i Cor. j. or co put them to fhame before all chat fee your acts ? There is but one thing can hinder chis, and that is, by-ftanders fee, that thefe your Brethren,thac you thus abufe, 2re as holy men as our fclves. Do you more to the open Prophane, yea, co all Wizards and Witches in the Land ? for all you can do to them ( I (peak norV as to Cburch-a&s) is no other than debar ib.ra the Communion of Saints.

And now I fay again, The World may well

•ponder, when they fee you deny holy.men

or God that liberty of the Communion of

E 4 Saiats

Saints which you Monopolize to your felves. And though they do not underftand the grounds or Profcflfion, or Communion ; yet they can both fee, and fay,thefe Holy-men of God, in all vifible a&s of Holinefs, are not one inch behind you. Yea, I will put it to your felves, If thofe many, yea very many, who thus feverely (but with how little ground, h feen by men of God ) you deny Communion with, are not of as good, as holy, as unblameable in life, and as found, if not founder in the Faith than many among our felves: Here only they make the ftop, they cannot, without Light, be driven into Wa-ter-baptifm, I mean after our Notion of it: but what if they were, 'twould be little fign to me that they were (incere with God.

To conclude this • when you have proved that Water- baptifm (which you your felf have faid is not a Church-Ordinance, p.40.) is Ef-fential to Church-Communion, and that the Chureh may, by the JVord of God, bolt, bar, and for ever (hut out thofe, far better than our felves, that have not, according to our Notion, been baptized with Water; then 'twill be time enough, to talk of ground for fo doing. In the mean time I muft take leave to tell yon, There is not in all the Bible one [jlUble for fuck a Frottticey wherefore your great cry about your Order is wordlcfi^ and therefore faithleft, and is a meer Hnmane Invention.

I come

C*> rU *U .f*» J%> .«*» **> rf» «#> »*» r t> ^ r ti A A «L

I come now to your Fdurteen Jrgwnents y and dial I impartially confider them.

Y'Our ftrft Argument to prove it lawful to •*■ reject the Unbaptized Saint, is, Becattfe the great Commijfion of Ckriftj Matth. 28. from which all Perfons hav: their Authority for their Mini(hy y ( if any Authority at all) doth clearly direEb the contrary. By that Commijfion, Mini/lers arefirft to Difciple, and then to Baptize them fo made Dtfciples, and after-ward to teach them to objerve all that Cbriji Commanded tbem> as to other Ordinances of Worfhip. If Miniftcrs havt no other Authority to teach them other parts of Gofpel-mrfbip> before they believe and are baptized ; it may be flrongly fttppofed, they are not to admit them to other Ordinances before they bate poffed this fir/} injoyned in the Commijfion.

Anfrv.i. ThatthcMiniftersareto Difciplc and Baptize, is granted. But that they arc prohibited ( by the Comrxnflion, Mattb.2.%.) to Teach the Difciples other parts of Gofpel-Worfhip, that have not Light in Baptifm, remains for you to prove. Shall 1 add, This Pofition is fo abfuid and void of truth, that none that have ever read the Love of ChniT,

the

the Nature of Faith, the End of the Gofpcl, or of the Rcafon of Inftituted Worlhip ( which is Edification ) with underftanding, fhould fo much as once imagine.

But where are they here forbidden to teach them other Truths, before they be baptized ? This Text a* fairly denieth to the uniaptiz,ed Believer, Heaven, and (jlory. Nay our Author jn the midft of all his flutter about this 28th of Matthew, dare venture to gather no more therefrom, but that it mnj be ftrongly fttppofed. Behold therefore, gentle Reader, the ground on which thefe Brethren lay the ftrefs of their feparation from their Fellows, is nothing elfe bttt a fuppofition, without warrant, skrewed out of this blelTed Word of God. Strongly Sftppofed I but may it noc be as ftrongly fuppofed, that the Prefence and Bleffing of the Lord Jems, with his Minifters, is laid upon the fame ground alio ? for thus Be concludes the Text, And lo^ lam with you alwayesy even to the end of the World. But would> I fay, any man from thefe words, conclude, ThatChrift Jefushath here pro-mifed his Prefence only to them that after dif-cipling, baptize thofe that are fo made ; and that they that do not baptize, (hall neither have his <Pre{enec, nor his Bleffing ? I fay again, Should any fo conclude hence, would not all Experience prove him void of Truth ? The words therefore muft be lefc, by you, as you found them, they favour not at all your groundlefs fuppofaion.

To

To conclude, thefe words have not laid Baptifm in the way to debar the Sainr from Fellowfhip of his Brethren, no more than to hinder his inheritance in Lire and Glory. Marle^ reads it thus j He that believetb and is b*ptiz,ed,Jhall be faved^ but he that believetb nety fhaU be damned, Mark 1 6. 16. letting Baptifm, which he mentioned in the promife, fall, when he came at the threatning.

God alfo doth thus with refpeft to his Worfhip in the Church, he commands all and every whit of his will to be done, but beareth with our coming fhort in this, and that, aud another Duty. But let's go 011.

Your fecond Argument, is: That the Order of Cbr'tffs Commljfion, at well a* the matter therein contained to be obfer-ved, may eafily be concluded, from Cjod's [everity towards them that fought him not according to due order, 1 Chron. 1 j. 13. Wm Cjod fo exact with his People then, that all things to a Pin mujl be according tt the Pattern iu the Mottnt y Heb. 7. 16. & 9. 11. whofe Worjhiptben comparatively, to the Gofpel, r?as but after the Law of a Carnal Commandment j andean it be fuppofed he fkould be Jo indifferent nwg to leave men to their own liberty , to time and place hit Appointments, contrary to what he hath given in exprefs Rule, for in hu Word at before* Ezek.44.7,9,10. It was the Priejl's Sin formerly to bring the uncirexmcifed in heart and flefh into his houfe.

Anfw. Thac there is no fuch Order in chac

Com-

>£ Differences about Watcr-Bjptifm,

Commiffion as you.feign, I have proved. As for your far-fetch J d Inftance ( i Chron.i$.) 'tis quite befides your purpofe. The exprefs Word was, That the Priejl, not a Cart y fhould bear the Ark^ofGod : Alfo they were not to touch ic, and yet Vz,z,a did, Exod, 2$, 14. 1 Chron.15. 12,13, 14, iy. 'tymb. 4. iy. 1 Chron. 1 j. Now, if you can make that 28th of Matthew fay, Receive none that are not baptised firft ; or that Chriji wo ft Id have them of his, that are not yet baptised, kept ignorant of all other Truths that refpeft Church-Communion ; then you fay fomething, elfe you do but raife a mift before the fimple Rea~ der: but whofolifteth, may hang on your fleeve.

j-vs for the Pins and Tacks of the Tabernacle, they were exprefly commanded j and when you have proved by the Word of God, That you ought to ihut Saints out of your Communion for want of Bapcifm, then you may begin more juftly to make your Parallel. How fitly you have urged Ez,ek. 44- c ° in-flnuate that unbaptized Believers are like the uncircumcifed in heart and flefh, I leave it to all Gofpel-Novices to consider.

Your third Argument, is* The prattlce of the fir ft GofpeL ^Minifters, with them that fi'ft trujied in Chrlft, dijcovers the truth of what 1 ajftrt. Certainly they that lived at the jpring-head 9 or fountain of Truth, and had the Law from Chriji's own WHth> k?erv the meaning of his Commiffion

better

no tar to Communion, better tktn we: but their conftant plaice in conformity to that Commiffion, all alb** the Atts of theApojlles, di[covers that they never arrived, to/ucha latitude 04 men plead for now a-dayes. They that gladly received the Word were baptized, and they ( yea they only ) were received into the Church.

Anfw. Hew well you have proved what you have aliened, is manifeft by myAr.fwer to the two former Arguments, I addc That the Mmifters, and Servants of Tefus Chrift in the firft Churches ( for that you are to prove ) were Commanded to forbear to Preach other Truths to the Unbaptized Believers; or that they were to keep them

^ ca h r P urch: or tha < the ApoftJes, and hrit Fathers, have given you to underhand by their Example, that you ou*hc to keep as gocdotu of Churches as your kl\cs hach i,o yet been fhewed by the Authority of the Word. The fecond of the AZts pro-veth nor, That the three thoufand u ere ne-cefiraced to be baptized in order to their Feliov.mip with the Church, i either doth it fay THE Y, yea they only, were received into the Church. But fuppofe all this, as much was done ac the firft Ir.flicu-tion of Circumcifion, &c. yec afterwards thoufands were received without it.

Your fourth Argument is, ^ J^one of cbe Scripture-Saims ever attempted this Cbptrc;-privilcdg wuhout Baplfm, (if they did, lei tt be jhevm). The Eunuch fir)}

defired

dejired Bvptifm before any thing elfe 5 Paul wat 1 fir(l baptized before he did ejfay to joyn with the Church. Oar Lord Chrift y the great Example of the New leftamenty entred not upon his publtck. Miniftry, much lefs any other C off el" Ordinance of iVorfhipy till he wot Baptized.

Anfw. That none of the Scripture-Saints (if there be any imfcripture ones) fo much as attempted this Church- priviledge firft, remains for you to prove. But fuppofe they were all Baptized, becaufe they had light therein, whac then ? Doth this prove that Baptifm is effential to Church-Communion? Or, that Chrift commanded in the 28th of tjiiatihew , or gave his Minifters by that authority, not to make known to Believers other parts of Gofpel-Worfhip, if they fhall want light in Baptifm ? The Eunuch, Paul, and our blefTed Lord Jems, did none of them, by their Baptifm, fee themfelves to us Examples how to enter into Church-Communion, what Church was the Eunuch Baptized into, or made a Member of; but where is it faid, that the unbaptized Believer , how excellent Joever in Faith and HoUnefs, mull, for want of Water-baptifm,be fhut out from the communion of Saints, or be debarred the Privi-ledge of his Fathers Houfe ? This you are to prove.

Your fifth Argument is,

If Chrifl b'imfelf was made manifeft to be

the SENT of God by Baptifm, as appears

Mark i> 9, 10. Then why mzy not Bjptifm 7 a*

the firft Fruits of Faith, and the firft ftep of

Gofpd-

G of pel-Obedience, as to Inftituted fVorfhip, be a manifefting, difcovering Ordinance upon others who thus follow Cbrifl's (leps.

Anfw. That Jefus Chriit was manifeft ed as the SENT of God by Baptifm, or that Bap-tifm is the firft Fruit of Faith, and the fir ft ftep of Gofpel-Obedience, as to inftituted Worfhip, is both without proof and truth j the Text faith not, he was manifeft to be the fent of God by Baptifm; nay it faith not, that by that he was manifeft to others to be any thing thereby : you haye therefore but wronged the Tcy, to prove your wordlefs Practice by. Yea, John himfelf, though he knew him before he was baptized, to be a Man of God, (for, faith he, / have need to be Bapti- Mat 3.14.' z,ed of tbee> and comeft thou to me) and kyew him after to be the SENT of God ; yet not T , in, or by, but after he was Baptized, to wit, j° 3IJ3' by the descending of the Holy Ghoft, after 34' he was come out of the Water, a* he was in Prajer, for the Heavens were opened zojokn, and he faw, and bare Record, becaufe he faw the Spirit defcend from Heaven, and a-bide upon Jefus, after his Baptifm, at be was in Prayerj Mat.3.13,14,1 j,itf.Luk.3.21,22. Thus we find him made known before, and after, but not at all by Bapcifa, to be the SENT of God.

And chat Baptifm is the firft fruits of Faich, or that Faich ought to be tyed to take its firft ftep in Water-bap:ifm, in the inftituted Wor-fhipof God, (this you muft prove) is noc found exprefTed within the whole Bible.

Faub

go Difference* about PVater-Baptifm,

Faith atts according to its ftrengtb y and <U it fees, it is not tyed or bound to any outward Circumftance; one believeth he may, and a-nother believeth he may not, either do this or that.

Your fixth Argument is,

// Baptifm be in any fence any part of the foundation of a Church, at to order, Heb. 6» i,2. it muft have place here or no where: why art tbofe things called firfl Principles, if not firft to be believed^ andprattifed ? why are they rendred by the learned the A. B. C. of a Ckfiftt-an, and the beginning of Chriflianity, Milk, for Babes, if it be no matter whether Baptifm be praftifed or no f If it be faid Water-bap* tifm is not there intended, let them (hew me how many Baptifms there are be/ides Water-bap-tifm ? Can you build and leave out a flone in the Foundation? I intend not Baptifm a Foundation any other way, but in rcfpeti of order, and it is either intended for that or nothing,

Anfw. Baptifm is in no fenfe the Foundation of a Church. I find no foundation of a Church, but Jeftu Chrift himfelf, Mat. 16. 18, i C^r.^.n. Yea, the Foundation mentioned, Heb.6 '.i,2. is nothing elfe but this very Cbrifl. For he is the Foundation, not only of the Church, but of all that good that at any time is found in her. He is the Foundation OF our Repentance, and OF our Faith towards God, verf i, 2. Further, Baptifms are not here mentioned, with refpedt to the A61 in Water, but of the Doctrine, that is, the fignification thereof. The VoBrine of

Baptifms*

Baptifms. And obferve, neither Faith, nor Repentance, nor Baptifms, are called here Foundations : Another thing, for a Foundation, is here by the Holy Ghoft intended, even a Foundation for them all; a Foundatu on OF Faith, OF Repentance, OF the Doctrine of Baptifms, OF the Refurredtion of the Dead, and OF eternal Judgment. And this Foundation is Jefus Chrilt himfelf, and thefe are the flrft Principles, the Milk, the A. B. C. and the beginning of Chriftian Religion in the World.

I dare not fay, No matter whether VVater-Baptifm be pra&ifed or no. But it is not a ftone in the Foundation of a Church, no not refpe&ing order j it is not, to another , a %n of my Sonfhip with God ; it is not the door into Fellowfhip w ith the Saints,it is no Church Ordinance, as you, your felf have teftified, pag. 40. So then as to Church-work, it hath no place at all therein.

Your feventh Argument is, If Paul knew the GalatiaES ONLY upon the account of Charity, NO other wajes to be the Sons of God by Faith ; but by this part of their Obedience, as he feems to import, then the fame way voe judge of the truth of mens profejfion of Faith, when it [hews it felf by ths* felf.-fame Obedience, Gai. 3. 26, 27. Baptifm being an Obligation to all following Duties.

A»(w. This your Argument, being build-

( cd upon no more than a SEEMING Import,

F and

$± Vifitrtvcti about WaterxBaftifm,

and having been above ten times overthrown already } I might leave (till with you, till your feeming Import is come to a real one, and both to a greater perfwafion upon your own Confcicnce. But ve-rily Sir, you groily abufe your Reader j Muft Imports, yea, muft faming Imports now {fond for Arguments, thereby eo maintain your confident reparation from your Brethren ? Yea, muft fuch things as thefe, be the Rafis on which you build thofe heavy Cenfures and Condemnations you raife againft your Brethren, that cannot comply with you, becaufe^you want the word? A feeming Importx But are theje words of Faith % or do the Scriptures only help you to feeming Import* y and me-hap-foes for your practice ? No, nor yet to them neither, for I dare boldly affirm it, and demand, if you can, to prove, that there is fo much as a feeming IMPORT m all the Word of God, that countenanced! your {hutting men, better than our felves, from the Things and Priviledges of our Fathers Houfe.

That to the G< latians, faith not, that Paul knew them to he the Sons of God by Faith, NO a her way, but by THIS part of their Obedience ; but puts them upon concluding them-(elves the Sons of God, if they were baptised into the Lord Jefus, which could not (ordinarily J be known but unto tbemfelvesalone ; beeaufe, being thus baptized, refpecleth a 1 fpecial Aft of Faith, which onely God, and him that hath, and acteh it, can be privy to c li is one thing for him that adminiltreth, to

Baptize

Baptize in the Name of Jefus, and another thing for him that is the Subjed:, by that to be baptized INTO Jefus Chnft: Baptizing INTO .Chrift, is rather the Ad of the Faith of him that is baptized, than his going into Water and coming out again : But that Paul knew this to be the (late of the GaUtians NO other way, but by their external Act of being baptized with Water, is both wild and unfound, and a mifetable IMPORT indeed.

Your eighth Argument is.

If being baptized Into Chrift, be a putting ott of thrift, as Paul exprejfes, then they have not put on Chtift, * n that fenfe he means , that are not baptized ; if this putting on of Chrift, doth not refpeB the vifibility of Chriflianity ; ajfign fomething elfe as its fignificatlon , great mens Servants are k&own bythtir Makers Liveries, fo are G of pel-Belle vers by this Livery of Water-baptifm, that aU that firfl trufted in Chrlft fubmltted unto $ which is In it felf is as much an Obligation to all Gofpel-Obedience y M Clrcumclfion was to keep the whole Lave.

Anfw. For a reply to the firft part of this Argument, go back to the Anfwer to the fe-vench.

Now that none have put on Chrift: in Paul's fenfe; yea, in a Caving, in the belt fenfe but them that have, as you.would have them, gone into Water, will be hard for you to prove, yea, is ungodly for you to affert.

Your comparing Watcr-baptifm to aGen/-F 2 tlemans

#4 Differences abort Water-Baptifm,

tlcmans Livery, by which his Name is known to be his, is fanraftical.

Go you but ten doors from where men have knowledge of you, and fee how many of the World, or Chrittians, will know you by this goodly Livery, to be one that hath put on Chritt. What! known by Watcr-baptifm to be one that hath'put on Chritt, as a Gentle-mans man is known to be his Matters Servant, by the gay Garment his Matter gave him. Away fond man, you do quite forget the Texr. By THIS jhaliall men k*iow that yopt are my Difciples> if you have love one to another, John 13. 35.

That Baptifm is in it SELF obliging, to fpeak properly, it is falfe, for fet ic by it felf, and it ftands without the (ramp of Heaven tttpon it, and without its figniflcation alfo : and how, as (itch, it fhould be obliging, I fee not.

Where you in(inuare,it comes in the room

A&S15. of, and obligeth as Circumcifion : You fay, 3 % ' you know not whar.Circumcifion was the in-

Gal < 1 * tlatni g Ordinance, but this you have denyed

*j&4- ' to Baptifm. Further, Circumcifion THEN bound men to the whole Obedience of the Law, when urged by the falfe Apoftles, and received by an erroneous Conscience. Would you thus urge Water-baptifm ! would yoa have men to receive it with fuch Consciences ? Circumcifion in thefiefh, was a Type

PJihrj 3. of Circumcifion in the heart, and not of Water-bajptifm.

Yoi&r

Rom. 2 18, z 9 .

Your ninth Argument is, // it were commendable in the ThefTaloni

*r& w i h f " U "" d ' be /**W 'f 'he Church of Judea, x Tbef. 2. H ! l ho \ £

pears fotlo^d thu order of adding EaptiJd-

Behever, unto the Church . ThA they that

have found out another way of making Chuych-

Members, are not by that Rule praife-worthy,

hut rather to be blamed; it mm „ ot Uat wal

fince ,n corrupted times, but that which was

^Tpu% h vE:::. giiheMa '>rch "^

ru**J"A J^ C , the Tcxt faith there was t A °?J» d "'> I find not, (i Thelf 2 J.) And that the Thefalonians are commend-' edrorrehifing to have communion with t ue Unbaptized Believers, (for that is our cuefti-on) proveitbytheword, and then you do fomethmg. Again that the commendations ( xThcf. 2. ,4. ) do chiefly, or at all, re. fpeft their being Baptized : Or, becufe they flowed the Churches of God, which in Judea we,j, Chrifl J e f M , in the Example of W.uer-ttaptifm is quite befide the word. The Verfe run, thus, for the Brethren, became Mowers of the Churches of Cod, which in Judea are inChr.fi J,f„ t f or ye alfo have juffered l,he things of your own Comnrey-men, even at they have of the Jews, &c. This Text then commends them, not for that they were baptized with Water, but, for that they flood their ground, although baptized with fuftr «g, like them in judea, for the Name of F i the

%6 Differences about Water-Bapt%]m,

the Lord Jefus. For ftiffering lik$ things of their own Countreymm, as they did of the Jews. Will you not yec leave off to abufe the Word of God, and forbear turning it out of its place, to maintain your unchriftian practice of rejecting the People of God, and excluding them their blefled Priviledges.

The unbaptiz'ed Believer, inftead of taking ftiame for entering into fellowfhip without it, will be ready, I doubt, to put you to fliame for bringing Scriptures fo much befides ths purpofe, and for ftretching them fo miferably to uphold you in your fancies.

Your tenth Argument is, If fo be, that any of the Members at Corinth, Galatia, Colofs, Rome, or them that Peter wrote to, were not baptised, then Paul* ^Arguments for the RefurreBion to them, or to frefs them to holinefs from that ground (Rorn. 6. Col. 2. I Cor. if. ) was out $f doors, and altogether needlefs, yea, it befpeaks his ig-norance y and throweth contempt upon the Spirits tVifdom, (Heb. 6. i Pet. 3,12.) by which he wrote ', if that mujl be ajferted as a ground • to provoke them to fuch an end, which bad no beeing ; and if all the Members of all thofe Churches were baptised, why jhould any plead for an exemption from Baptifmjor any Chureh~ Member now ?

Anfw. Suppofe all, if all thefe Churches were baptized, what then? that anfwereth noc our Quefijon. We ask where you find it written, that thofe that are baptized,fhould

keep

keep men as holy, and as much beloved of the Lord JcfusasthemfeKes, out of Church-Communion i for wane of light in Water-Baptifm.

Why we plead for their admiiTion, though they fee not yet, that that i* their Duty, is becaufe we are not forbidden, but commanded to receive them , becaufe God and Ghrift hath done it, %om. 14, & if.

Your eleventh Argument is. If t*nbaptiz,ed Perfons mu{} be received i>Ao Churches onely, becaufe they are Believers, though they deny Bsptifm ; 7 hen why may not ethers plead for the like privikdge, that are negligent in any other Gofpel-Ordinnnce of PVorfhip, from the fame grvund of want of light y let it be what it will. So then as the conference of this Principle , Churches m+y be made up of vifible jinmrs, infiead of vifibic Saints.

A»fw. I plead not for Believers (imply be t caufe they are Believers, but for fuch Believers of whom we are perfwaded by the Word, that God hath received them.

2. There are fome of the Ordinances that, be they neghdted, theben.^of a Church, as to her vifible Gofpel-Conltitution, is t. quite away; but Baptifal is none or thc-.r^ it being noChurch-Ordinince as i.u-:h,nor any part of Faith, nor of that Hohncis ol hej or life, that fheweth mc to the Church to be indeed a vilible Saint. The Saint is a S bJj>re, and may walk with God, and be F 4.

$ 8 Differences about Water-Baptlfm,

faithful with the Saints, and ro his own Light atfo, though he nevtr be baptized. Therefore to plead for his admiflion, makes no way at all for the admillion of the open prophane, or to receive, as YOU profefs YOU do, Per-fons unprepared to the Lord's Table, and other foUmn Appointments, pag.2o.

Your twelfth Argument is, jyby fbotfid Profejfors have more Light in breaking of Bread, than Baptifm ? That this mufl be fo urged for their excufe : Hath God been more (paring in making out his mind in the one, rather than the other ? Is there more ^Precepts or Precedents for the Supper, than Baptifm f Hath God beenfo bountiful in making out himfelf about the Supper, that few or none, that own Ordinances, fcruple it: And mu(l Baptifm be fuch a rock of offence, to Pro-feffors f That very few will inquire after >V, or fubmittoitf Hath not man s wifdom inter ■-pofed to darken this part of God*s Counfel f By which Profejfors feem willingly led, though a-gainfi fo many plain Commands and Examples, written as with a Sun-beam, that he that runs may read ? And muft an Advocate be enter-rained to plead for fo grofs a piece of ignorance, that the meanefl babes of the firfi Gojpcl-times were never guilty of ?

Anfw* Many words to little purpofe :

x. Mud God be called to an account by

you, why he givcrh more Light abous. the

supper, than-Baptifm? May* he not-{hew

10} or conceal from this, or another of his

Servant $j

Servants, which of his Truths he plealeth? Some of the Members of the Church of Jt-rufalem had a greater Truth than this kept from them, for ought I know, as long as they lived, (t/€fts 11.ip.) yet God was not called in queftion about it.

2. Breaking of Bread, not Baptifm, being a Church-Ordinance, and that fuch alfo, as muft be often reiterated 5 yea, it being an Ordinance S O full of bleffednefs, as lively to prefent Union and Communion with Chrift to all the Members that worthily eat thereof j I fay, The Lord's-Supper being fucb, that while the Members fit at that feaft, they/frfjpto each other the Death and Blood of the Lord ; as they ought to do y till be comes, ( 1 Cor. 10.1 ?, 16,17. & 11. 22,23. 24,25,26.) the Church, as a Church, is much more concerned in T H A T, than in Water-baptifm, both as to her Faith, and Comfort \ both as to her Union, and Communion.

3. Your fuppofition, That very few Pro-fefTors will ferioufly enquire after Water-baptifm, u too rude. What! muft all the Children of God, that are not bapcized for want of Light, be ftill ftigmatized, with want of ferious inquiry after God's mind in it.

4. That I am an Advocate, entertained, to plead for fo grofs a piece of ignorance, as want of Light in Baptifm, is but like the reft of your jumbling. I plead for Communion with men, godly and fmbful, I plead that

they

$o Differences about fVater-Baptifm,

they may be received, that God bath (hewed tts he hath received, and commanded wefhould

receive theai.

Your thirteenth Argument is,

If Obedience muft difcover the truth of a mans Faith to others, why muft Baptifm be [but out ? as if it was no fart of Gofpcl-Obedi~ ence. Is there no Precept for this Pratlice, that it mufl be thm defpifed ? as a matter of little ufe, or [hall one of Chrift's preciota Commands be blotted out of a Qhriftlans Obedience\ to make way for a Church-fellowfbipofmans devifing f

Anfvt.x. This is but round, round, the fame thing, over and over: That my obedience to Water, is not a difcovery of my Faith to others, is evident, from the body of the Bible, we find nothing that affirms it.

And I will now add, That if a man cannot fhew himfelf a Chriftian without Water-baptifm, He jhaH never fberv either Saint, or Sinner, that he is a Chriftian by it.

2. Who they are that defpife ir, I know not but that Church-memberfhip may be without it, (feeing, even you your felf have concluded, it is no Church-Ordinance, p.40. not the entering-Ordinance, p. 3, 4.) (land-- eth both with Scripture and Reafon, as mine Arguments make manifeft. So that all your Arguments prove no more but this,Ti?4t you are fo wedded to your wordlefs JSfrtkns, that Charity can have no place with you. Have you a!i this while fo muck as given me one fmali

piece

piece of a Text to prove it unlawful for the Church to receive thofe whom flie, by the Word , perceiveth the Lord God and her Chriit hath received ? No : and therefore you have (aid To much as amounts to nothing.

Your iait Argument is,

// the Bipifm of John was fo far honoured, and dignified, that they that did fubmit to it, are faid to jufiifie God ; and thoje that did it not, are [aid to rejetl his counfel again/} them-[elves : fo that their receiving, or rejecting the whole Dottrine of God, hath its denomination from this Jingle Prallice. And is there not as much to be faid of the Baftifm ofChrift, uniejs jottwillfaj, it is inferior ffljohn'jj invewtb and ufe+

Anfiv. i. That our denomination of Believers, and of our receiving the DocVineof the Lord Jefus, is not to be reckoned from curBaptiim, is evident ; Becatife according to our Notion of it, they only that have before received the Doctrine of theGufpel, and fo (hew it us by their Confeflion of Faith, they only ought to be baptized. This might ferve for an Anfwer for all : But,

2. The Baptifm of John was the Snyilfm of Repentance, for the Remijfion of Sins, of^^i, ■ which Water was hue an outward fignificati* 4 j a, -on, Mark^ 1. 4.. Now, what is the Bapnfm of Repentance, but an unfeigned acknowledg- * * ment that they were Sinners, and (o ftood m Oui\ 7 . need of a Saviour, Jefus Chriil: This B-ipcifm, 2 " } or Baptiim under this Notion, the Pkarijees Clia. 18 9.

ucuid

Ch would not receive, For they trttfled to them-

29, felvet that they were righteous, that they were

not as other men, that they had need of T$0 Chap.i$.7 repentance : Not, but that they would have been baptized with Water, might that have been without an acknowledgement that they Mat.5.7. yyere Sinners : wherefore feeing the Counfel of God refpe&ed, rather the Remiflion of Eph.i *j£ y fins by Jefus Cbrift, than the outward a£t of 11. Water-baptifm, ye ought not, as you do, by

this your Reafoning, to make it rather, at leaft in the revelation of it, to terminate in the outward a& of being baptized, but in unfeigned and found Repentance, and the receiving of Jefus Chrift by Faith.

Further, Adefire to fubmit to JaJta's Water-baptifm, or of being baptized by him in Water, did not demonftrate by that SINGLE adt, the receiving of the whole Doctrine of God, as you fuggeft.

Why did John rejett the Pbarifees that would have been baptized ? and Paul examine them that were f Matth. 3. 7» Acts io.

2 > *-

If your Doclrine be true, why did they not rather fay, Oh I feeing yon defire to be baptized, feeing you have been baptized, you need not to be queftioned any further your ilibmitting to John's Water ; to us is a fuffi-cient teftimony, even that Jingle <*#, that you have received the whole Doctrine of God.

But I fay, why did John call them VU prs f and Paul ask'd them, Whether they

had

no Bar to Communion* p>

had jet received the Holy Gbofl: Yea, it is evident, that a man may be defirous of Water that a man may be baptized, and neither own the Do6trine of Repentance, nor know on whom he fhould believe: evident I fay, and that by the fame Texts (Mattb.$l 7. ^tf/io.2,3,4.)

You have grounded therefore this vour laft Argument, as alfo all the reft, upon an utter miftake of things.

MMM$MMM

£4 Differences ahnt Water-Baptifm,

I come now to your Queflions; which although they be mixed with Gallyl will T»itb patience fee if I can turn them into Food.

Your firft Queftion is,

IAsk^ your own heart y whether popularity and applaufe of variety of Proftjfors, be not in the bottom of what yon have [aid ; that hath been your fn&re to pervert the right wayes of the Lordy and to lead others into a path wherein we can find none of the foot-fteps of the Flock, in the firft Ages ?

Anfw. Setting afide a retaliation t like your Queftion, I fay, and God knows I (peak the truth, I have been tempted to do what I have done, by a provocation of fixreen years long ; tempted, 1 fay, by the Brethren of your way : Who, when-evcr they faw their opportunity, have made it their bufinefs to feek, to rend us in pieces; mine own (elf they have endeavoured to perfwade to forfake the Church ; fome they have rent quite off from us, others they have attempted \ and attempted to divide and break off from us, but by the mercy of God, have been hitherto prevented.

A more large account you may have in my next, if you think good to demand it} but I

thank

v$ Bar to Communion* $r

thank God that I have written what I have written.

Queft. 2. Have you dealt Brotherly , or lilej a Chriftian, to throw fo much dirt upon your Brethren, in print, in the face of the World, when you had opportunity to converfe with them of reputation amongtt tu, btfore printings being allowed the liberty by them, at the fame time for you to [peak^ among them ?

Anfw. I have thrown no dirt upon them, nor laid any thing to their charge, if their Practice be warrantable by the Word; but you have not been offended at the dirty your (elves have thrown at all the Godly in the Land that are not of our Perfwafion, n> counting th r m unfit to be communicated with, or to be accompanyed with in the Houie of God. This dirt you never complained of, nor would, I doubt, to this day, might ycu be (till let alone to throw it. As to my Book, it was Prineed before I fpake with any of you, or knew whether I might be accepted of you. As to them cf reputation among ycu, I know others not one tittle inferior to them,and have my liberty to confuk with who I like belt.

Queft. 3. Doth your carriage anfwer the Law of Love or Civility y when the Brethren ufed means to fend for you for a conference, and their Letter wot received by you, that you fbottld go out again from the City after knowledge of their dejiret, and no: vouchfafe a meeting with them, when the glory cf tjod, and the vindication of fs many Churches is co-/.-csrntd.

j4»fw,

g6 Vtprences about fvattr.Bapuim,

"%/lnfvo. The reaiori why I came not a-mongft you, was partly becaufe I confulted mine own weaknefs, and counted not my felf, being a dull-headed man, able to engage fo many of the chief of you, as I was then informed intended to mttx. me ; I alfo feared, in perfonal Difputes, heats and bitter contentions might arife, a thing my Spirit hath not pleafure in : I feared alfo, that both my felf and words would be mifreprefented \ and that not without caufe, for if they that Anfwer a Book will alter, and krue Arguments out of their place, and make my Sentences ftand in their own words, not mine, when (I fay) my words are in a Book to be feen. What would you have done,had I in the leaft,either in matter or manner, though but feemingly miscarried among you ?

As for the many Churches which you fay are concerned, as alfo the Glory of God, I doubt not to fay they are only your wordlefs Opinions that are concerned ; the Glory of God is vindicated : We receivt him that God bath received, and that to the glory of Ged, Rom. i y. itf.

Queft. 4. Is it not the Spirit of Diotre-phes of old, in you, who loved to have the preheminence, that you are fo bold to keep out all the Brethren, that are not of your mind in this matter, from having any entertainment in the Churches or Meetings to which you belong, though you your felf have not been denytd the like liberty, among them that are contrary-minded to you f Is this the way of your retaliation f

tion ? Or are you afraid left the Truth [honld invade your quarters ?

Anfpf. I can fay, I would not have the Spirit you talk of, what I have of it, God take it from me. But what was the Spirit of D/0-trephes ? Why, not to receive the "Brethren Into the Church , and to forbid them that would> (3 John p, io.) Thisdo notl^ I am for Communion with Saints, becaufe they are Saints: I ihut none of the Brethren out of the Chuichcsj nor foibid them that would receive thtrn. I fay again, ("hew me the man that is a vifiblc Believer, and that walketh with God; and though he differ with me a-bouc Baptifm, the Doors of the Church ftand open for hm, and ail our Heaven-born Privileges he Hull be admicted to them. But how came Diotrephes (o lately into our parts? Where was he in :hofedaye$ that our Brethren of the Bapiiz-jd-way,would neither receive in:o the Church, nor pray with men as good as themlelves, becaufe they were not baptized ; but would either, like Quakers, itand with their Hut on their heads, or elfe withdraw till we had done.

As to our no: furrering chofe v oU plead for to preach in our Ailemblics, the Reafon is, becaufe we cannot yet prevail with them, to repent of their Church-renting Principles. As to the Retaliation, wind the hand of (Jod y and remember Adonifa&e^ J'^g. I. 7.

Let the Tru:h come into our quarters and p rov ^ 7 , welcome, bdt fowsrs of D-fcsrd, becaufe the Rom,i6.' ,o;d hatesi: } we alio cur felves will avnd them. 1 7> If* G Queit.j,

£ 8 Differences abort Water. Baptifm,

Queft. y. Is there no contempt caft upon the Brethren, who defend your fatisfailion, that at the fame time, when you had opportunity to fpeak, to them ; in/lead of that, you committed the Letters to others, by way of njlcttion upon them f

Ar.fw. It is no contempt at all to confulc men more wife and judicious than him that wrote, or my felf either. But why not confult with others, is Wlfdomtodlcwith you* Or do you count all that your fclvcs have no hand in, done to your difparagement ?

Queft. 6 m Did not your prefumption prompt yon to provoke THEM to pointing, in your Letter to them, when they defered to be found in no fuch practice, h(l the Enemies of Truth fbtstili take advantage by it ?

Anfw. What provoked you to Print, will be beft known at the Day of Judgment,whether your fear of lofing your wordlefs Opinion, or my plain Anfwer to your Letter; the words in my Letter are, As for my Booh^, tiever defer its Anfwer till you jfe&k. with me^ for I ftrive not for maflery but Truth. Though you did not defire to write, yet with us there : was continual labour to rend us to pieces, and to prevent that, was my firft Book written. And let who will take advant.ige,fo the Truth of God, and the edification of my Brother be promoted.

Q^cft. 7. Whether your Principle and Pra-ilice is not equally againfi others as well as ut % viz; Epifcopal, Presbyterians,and Independents, ,> WiQ are alfo of ^ur fede,for oar pr d^iie ^though ^

thyi

t

thej differ with us about the fubjett of Baftifm) Do you delight to have your band againft every man ?

Anfw. I own Water-baptifm to be God's Ordinance, but I make no Idol of ir. Where you call now the Epifcopal to (ide with you, and alfo the Presbyterian, &c. you will not find them eafily perfwaded to conclude with you againit me. They are againft your manner of Dipping,as well as the Subject of Water-baptifm } neither do you, for all you flatter them, agree together in all but the Subject. Do you allow their Sprinkling ? Do you allow their figning with the Crofs ? Why then have you fo ftoutly, an hundred times oyer, condemned thefe things as Antichriitian. I am not againit. every man, though by your abuiive language you would fet every one a-gainft me, but am for Union, Concord, and Communion with Saints, as Saints, and for that caufe I wrote my Book.

To Conclude.

1. In ALL I havefaid, I put a difference between my Brethren ofc the Baptized-way y I know fome are more moderate than fome.

2. When I plead for the unb*ptiz,ed y I chiefly intend ihofe that are not SO bapcized z%my Brethren judge righr, according to the firfl pattern.

3. If any fhall count my Papers wtprth ^jkhe fcribling againft, let him deal with mine arguments, and things immediately derend-M G 2 mg

too Vifferentcs about frater-Baptifm,

irig upon' them,- and not conclude he hath con~ futed aBook^y when he h&:h only quarrelled at words.

4. I have done, when IJ-.ave tpty you^thac I drive not for Mafter j^qr Js ftipw my ieif lingular ; but, if it might be, for Union and Communion among the godly. And count me not as an enemy, becaufe I tell you the Truth*

5'. And now, dtjfenting Brethren^ I commend you to God y who can pardon your fin y and give you more grace, and an inherit and among them that are fanftified by Faith in Jeftu Chrifi. Amen.

ERRATA.

Page f7 3 line 14, for tn read Above. Page^S, line 17, leave out Anfiv. Page 79, line 12, leav e out thej eby.

Here

no Bar to Communion*

Here followeth Mr Henry fefefs JudgJ ment upon the fame

<^Aryiment m

Rom. 14. i.

Such 06 are H>eak in the Faith, receive you, & : .

WHefeas fomeluppofe the receiving there mentioned. WasW receiving into brotherly Affection, fiich as were m Church.Fell j^fhip • but not a receiving of fuch as were weak into the Cnurch.

For anfwer unco which confider, That in the Text are two t hints iJbe en-quired into. *

Firfl, What weaknefs of Faith this is,

thai- rn ill not hi.ider receiving.

Secondly, By whom, and to whac,'hc that

n weak in the Faich, is to be received r

To the F>rft, Wine weaknefs of Faith this

«tlncmuft not hinder receiving, whether

G 3 wgs

X o 2 Differences about Water- Bapt tfm,

was it weaknefs in the Graces of Faith, or in jfcfc Doctrine of Faith? It's conceived the ^Firfl is included, but the Second principally intended. M . Firft, That fome of the Lord's People are

L u ^2 4 . 2 2 4 ^ wca ^ m the Graces of Faith, will be confefled tyall, and tlat the Lord would have his Lambs fed as well as his Sheep, and his Children as well as grown Men, and that he hath given the right to Gofpel-priviledges, not to degrees of Grace, but to the Truth ^ Him that is weak^in the Faith, receive yea : or UNTO you, as fome GOOD Tranflations read it. .£009.14.1.

Secondly, It*s fuppofed, this Command of receiving him that is weak in the Faith, doth principally intend, that is weak in the DoUrine of Faith, and that not fo much in the Doctrine of Juftification, as in Gofpel-Initi-tutions, as doth appear by the fecond and (ix«;h verfes, which fhews, that it was in matters of Practice, wherein fome were weak, and at which others were offended j notwithstanding the Glorious Lord who bears all his Israel upon his heart receives, verf.3. and command-eth, him that is weak in the Faith receive you^ or unto you.

Therefore, here we are to enquire of the receiving in the Text, By whom, and to what, he that is weak in the Faith, lliould be received. In which enquiry there are Two parts* F$rft, By whom ? Second/j , To what?

To i

no Bat to Communion. To the Firfl. The Text makes anfwer, Him that u weakln the Faith, rcaive you, or unto you; which muft be the Church ac Rome to whom the Eoiftle was writ, as alio, to all oelovcdof God, called to be Saints, Xom.i.7. And as to them, fo unto all Churches and Saints, Beloved and cahed throughout the World.

Note, 7W Epl/UesareatwUtodlreclhov Lburcbcs are to carry things toward Saints rcithouz as to Saints within ; and alfo toward *U men a O4to £tVf m cfence to Jew or Gentile y nor to the Church of God. i Cor. 10.32

The fecond part of the Enquiry7s, to what he that is weak in the Faith is to be received ? whether only unto mutual affcaion « lome affirm, as if he were in Church! ^cllovvmip before, that were weak in the fraitji? or whether the Text doth as well, if not rather intend, the receiving fuch as were and are weak in the Faith. Not only unto mutual ahVhon if m the Church, but unro Church-fellow/hip alfo, if they were out tor clearing of which, confidcr, To whom thchpiftlc was written, A».i. 7 . Not only to the Church there, but unto all that were be. loved of God, and called to be Saints in all Ages. And as at Rome it is like there then were, and in other places now are Safe t > weak m the Faith, both in and out of Church-Fel-bwfhip • And it is probable there :hQn ucre, and clfewherc now are thofe that will caft fuch cut of their mutual affection. And if they will call fuch out of cbeir mutual affc&ioo that are G 4 within.

within, do doubt, they will keep out of their Church-Fellowihip thofe that are without.

Arg.\. Whereas the Lord's care extends to all his, and it it were a good Argument in the third vcrfe, for them to receive thofe within, becaufeGod hath received them, it would be as good an Argument to receive in thofe without, for God hath received them alfo: unlefs it could be proved, that all that were and are weak in the Faith, were and areinChurch-Fellowfhip, which is not likely ^ For if they would call: fuch out of their AfTe&ion that are within, they would upon the fame account keep them out of Church-fellowfhip that were without: Therefore as it is a Duty to receive thofe within unto mutual AfTe&ion, SO it is no lefs a duty, by the Text> to receive fuch weak ones as are without, into Church-Fellowfhip.

Arg.2. Is urged from the words themfelvcs which are, Receive him that u weak, in the Faith, wherein the Lord puts NO limitation, in this Text or in any other, and who is he then that can reftrain ir, unlefs he will limit the Holy One of Ifrael ? and how would fuch an interpretation, foolifhly charge the Lord, as if he took care ONLY of thofe within, but not LIKE care of thofe without > where-ss he commandeth them to receive them, and ufeth this Motive, he had received them, and hereceiveth thofe that are weak in the Faith, if without, as well as thofe within.

From the Example, (to wit) That God had received them ; whereas., had he been of tr^e - • Church,

no Bar to Communion, loy

Church, they would have been perfwaded of char before he Motive was urged : For no true Church o{ ChrifVs would cake in, or keep in any, whom they judged the Lord had not received, buc thofe weak ones were (uch as they queftioned whether the Lord had received them, elfe the Text had not been an anfwer fufficicne for their receiving thexn : There might have been objected, They hold up Jemfh obfervations of Meats, and Daye% which by the Death of Chriit. were abolifhed, and (o did deny feme of the Effects- of his Death ; yet the Lord who was principally wronged, could pafs this by, and commzndeth others ro receive them alio. And it it be a good Argument to receive fuch as are weak Jn any thing, whom the Lord hath received, Then there can be no good ^Argument to reject for any thing for which the Lord will not rejett them ; For elfe the Command in the rirft verfe f anti his Example ii the third verfe were in-fufficient , without fome ocher Arguments unto the Church, be fide his Command and Example.

Some Object, Chip. 15. 7. Receive you one another, as Chrlfl hath received its unto the *^ Glory of Cjod, and from thence fuppofing they were all inChurch-fellowfhip before,whereas the Text faith not fo : For if you coofider the 8th and oth verfes, you may fee he fpeaks unto J*n?.fand Gentiles in general, that if i\\zjews had the receiving, they fhould receive Gentiles ; and if the Gentiles had the receiving, they ihould receive Jewes ; For had they not

been

been on both fides commanded, The Juries might have (aid to the Gentiles, you are commanded co receive us, but we are not commanded to receive you ; and if the weak had the receiving, they fhould receive the ftrong ; and if the ftrong had the receiving, they fhould not keep out the weak; and the Text is reinforced with the Example of the Sors receiving us unto the Glory of God, that as he receiveth J ewes, and poor Gentiles, weak, and ftrong ; in Church-felbwfhip, or out of Church-fellowfhip: Soihould they, to the Glory of God. And as the Lord Jefus received fome, though they held fome rhings more than were Commanded, and fome things left than were Commanded, and as thofe that were weak and in Church-fellowihip, fo thofe that were weak and out of Church-fellowfhip ; and that not only into mutual Affection, but unto Fellowfhip with himfelF; and/<? fhould they, not only receive fuch as were weak within into mutual Afiedtion, but fuch as were without, both to mutual Affection and to Church-fellowfhip : Or elfe fuch weak ones as were without, had been excluded by the Text. Oh I how is the heart of God the Father and the Son fet upon this, to have his Children in his Houfe, and in one anothers hearts as they are in his, and are born upon the ihoulders and breafts of his Son their High-Prieft ? and as if all this will not do it, but the Devil will divide them frill whoie work it properly is ; But the God of Peace veA come in fhortlr, arj brwfe Satan under

their

their feet, as in Rom. 16. 20. And they will agree co be in one Houfe, when they are more of one Heart; in the mean time pray as in Chap, 1 <$. j. Now the God of Patience and, Confolation grant that we bt like-minded one towards another according to Chrifi J'ftts.

I fhall endeavour the anfu ering of (bme Objeclions, and leave it unto Consideration.

Obj. Some fay this bearing or receivings were but in things indifferent.

An[#. That eating, or forbearing upon a civil account, are things indifferent, is [rue: But not when done upon the account of Wor-fhip, as keeping of Dayes, and eftablifhing Jewijh obfervations about Meats, winch by the Death of Chrifi: are taken away, and ic is not fairly to be imagined the fame Church at Rome lookM fo upon them as indifferent; nor that the Lord doth; That it were a'l alike to him to hold up Jewijh Obfervations, or to keep Days or no Days, right Days or wrong Days, as indifferent things, which is a great miftake, and no lefs than to make God's Grace little in receiving fuch : For if it were but in things wherein they had not finned, it were no great matter for the Lord to receive, and it would have been as good an Argument or Motive to the Church, to fay the things were indifferent, as to fay the Lord had received them.

Whereas the Tex: is to fet out the Riches of Grace to the VefTels of Mercy, as Rom.p .15. That as at firft he did freely chufe and accepc them ; fo when they fail and mifcarry in many

s o 8 Differences about IVater-Baptifm,

ny things, yea "about his Worfhip alfo, although he be moft injured thereby, yet he is firft in palling it by, and perfwading others to do the like } That as the good Samaritan did i/i the Old Teftament, fo our good Samaritan doth in the New, when Prieft and Levite pafs'd by, Paftor and People pafs by ; yet he will not, but pours in Oyl, and carries them to his Inn, and calls for receiving, and fetting it upon his account.

Object. That this bearing withy and receiving fuch 06 are weak, ** the Faith , m»ft be limited, to Meats, and DayeS) ar,d Jnch Like things that had been old Jewi(hObfervations,bftt not auto the being ignorant in, or doubting of any New-Teftament-1 nfllttitlon.

Anfw. Where the Lord puts no limitacio.i, men fhould be wary how they do it, for they muft have a Command or Example, before they can limit this Command ; for although the Lord took this occafion from their difference abm: Meats and D-iyes to give this Comnand, yet the Command is notlimked there, no more than cj^f^f. 12. 1,2, 3,4, 5 j 6, 7. That when they made ufc of his good Law rigorcuily in the Letter, he prefcntly published an A61 of Grace, in the 7th verfe, and tells them, Had they known what this meanethy I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice , they woudd not have condemned the gmltlcfs • a* alfo Mat. p. 13. Qi learn what this mean* tih^ I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice^ which is not to be limited unto what was che gretcflt occafion o: jpablifhing the Command,

but

but obferved as a general Rule upon all occafi-. ons, wherein Mercy and Sacrifice comes in competition, to (haw the Lord will rather have a Duty emitted that is due to him, then Mercy to his Creatutes omitted by them. So in the Text, when feme would not receive fuch as were weak in the Faith, as to matters of Practice, the I^ord was pleafed to publifh this <S?CT of (jrace ; Him that is weak in the Faith, receive you, but not to doubtful dictation. Now unlefs it be proved, that no Saint can be weak in the Faith in any thing bat Meats and Days, or in fome Old-Teita-ment-Obfervation, and that he cught not to be judged a Saint, that is weak in the Faith, as it relates to Gofpel-Inftitutions, in matters of practice, you cannot limit the Text, and you muft alfo prove his weaknefs SUCH, *t that the Lord mil not receive him ; elfc the Command in the firft verfe, and the Reafon or Motive in the third verfe, will both be in force upon you, to wit, Him that U vceak^in the Faith, receive you^ or unto yon, for Cod hath received him.

Object. But jome may objetl from i Cor. 12. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles. Some there are that ajfirm this to be meant of Water-bayt'xfm, and that particular Churches are formed thereby, and all f erf ons are to be admitted and jojned unto fuch Churches by Wat'er-bapifm.

Ar.fw, That the Baptifm intended in the Text, is the Spirits-bapcifm, and not Water-

bapcilm 5

*io Differences abort Water-Baptifm,

baptifm ; and that the Body the Text intends, is not principally the Church of Corinth, but all Believers, both Jews and Gentiles, being baptized into one Myftical Body, as Ephef* 4. 4. There is one Body, and one Spirit > wherein there is fet out the Uniter and the United ; therefore in the third verfe they are exhorted to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. The United are all the Faithful, in ore Body; into whom ? in the fifth verfe, in one Lord Jefus Chhft ; by what ? one Faith,

%f* one Baptifm, which CANNOT be meant of Water-baptifm ^ for VVater-baptifm doth not unite all this Body, for fome of them never had Water-baptifm, and are yet of this Body, and by the Spirit gathered into one Lord Jefus Chrift, Ephef. 1. 10. both which are in Heaven and in Earth, Jew and Gentile, Ephef. 2. 16. that he might reconcile both unto God in one Body by his Crofs; the Inftru-ment you have in verf. 18. by one Spirit , Ephef* 3. 6\ That the Gentiles fhould be FeU low-Heirs of the fame Body, verf. iy. of whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named. And the Rcafons of their keeping the Unity of the Spirit, in £^.4.3. is laid down inv.4^. being one Body, one Spirit, having one Hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm,whether they were jews or Gentiles, fuch as were in Heaven or in Earth, which

£j* CANNOT be meant of Water-baptifm, for ih that fenfe, they had not all one Bapciim, nor admitted and united thereby : So in 1 Cor. 12. 13, For by one Spirit we are _ all

baptized

m Bar to Communion, m

haptiutl into one Body, whether Jews or (jtn-tilts, whether we be bond or free, we having been aU made to drinf^ into one Spirit 5 which CANNOT be meant of Water-baptifm, in -£j regard all the Body of Chriil, Jews and Gentiles, bond and tree, partook noc thereof.

Object. But Ephef. 4. j. faith ^ there is but one Bapcifin^ and by what hath been faid, if granted. Water-baptifm will be excluded, or elfe there is more Baptjfms than one.

Anfw. Ic folio weth not chat becaufe the Spirit will have no corrival, chat therefore o-ther things may not be in their places: That bccaule the Spirit of God taketh the prehemi-nence, therefore other things may noc be fub-fervient : 1 John 2. 27. The Apoftie tells them, That the anointing which they have received of him, abideth in them ; and you need noty faith he, that any man teack yon , but as the fame anointing teacheth you all things, Br this fome may think, John excludes the Mimicry ; no fuch matter, chough the Holy Ghoft had confirmed and inftiuCted them fo in the Tru:h of the Gofpel, as that they were fur-nitlied againft Seducers in v. 2.6. yetyoufes John goes on ftill teaching them in many things: As alfo in Ephef. 4.^,1, 12,13, he gave fome Apoftles, fome Prophets, fome Evangelifts, fome Paftors, and Teachers, verf.iz. for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Miniftry, for the. edifying of theBodyofChrift; verfi^. Till we all come in the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge

Differences about Water-Btptifm,

of the So « of God-, unto a perfetl manhunt o the meafvre of the flature of the falnffs ofChrift. So in the Spirits-baptilm, thou; ;i ic have the preheminence, and appropriated fome things, as peculiar to it felt, it doth not thereby de-ftroy the life and End of Water-baptifm, or any other Ordinance in its place : for Water-baptifm is a means to increafe Grace, and in it, and by it Sandtification is forwarded, and Remiflion of fins more cleared and witnefled., yet the giving Grace, and regenerating and renewing, is the Holy Spirit's peculiar. Consider TiV. 3. 5. By the wafhing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghcfty Baptifm being the outward iigh of the inward Graces wrought by the Spirit, a reprefentation or figure, as in 1 <p^. 3.21. The like Figure, vp hereunto Baptifm doth now alfo favew, not the putting away of the filth of the fle(h, but the anfwtr of Osgood Confolence towards God f by the ReffirreUionoffe[mChri(l y not excluding Water baptifm; but fhewing, That the Spiritual part is chiefly to be looked at: Though fjch as (light Water-baptifm as the Phzrifets and Lawyers did Lnksl' 3 °> reject tne Coun-felof God a^aiult themfelves not being Baptized ; And fuch as would (et Water-baptifm in the Spirit's place, exalt a duty againft the Deity and dignity of the Spirit, and do give the Glory due vnto him, as God blefled [or ever, unto a duty.

By which mittake of fetting up Water-baptifm in the Spirit's place, and -afligning it a work, which wis never appointed uutoic

of

of forming the Body of Chrift, cither in general, as in i Cor. 12.1$. Eph.^.f. or as ro particular Churches of Chrift, we may fee the fruit, that inftead of being the means of uniting as the Spirit doth, that it hath not only rent his feamlefs^Coat, but divided his Body which he hath purchafed with his owrt blood, and oppofed that great defign of Father, Son, and Spirit, in uniting poor Saints, thereby pulling in pieces what the Spirit hath puc together. Him that is weak in the Faith re ceive )ou> for God bath received him ; being fuch as the Spirit had baptized and admitted of the Body of Chrift, he would have his Churches receive them alfo: whofe Baptifm is the ONLY Baptifm, and fo is called the -£f ONE Baptifm : Therefore confider, whether fuch a Practice, hath a Command or an Example, that Perfons muft be joyned into Church-fellowfhip by Water-baptifm; For John baptized many, yet he did not baptize fome into one Church, and fome into another, nor all into one Church ( as the Church of Rome doth ) ; And into what Church did Fbilip baptize the Eunuch, or the Apoftle the Jaylor and his houfe ? And all the reft they baptized, were they not left free to joyn them-felvcs for their convenience, and Edification > All which I leave to Consideration. I might have named fome inconveniencies, if not absurdities that would follow the Afiertionj As to father the miftakes of the Baptizers on the Spirit's a£t, who is not miftaken in any* Hebaptizethj no fake Brethren creep in una-H * L warc*

wares into the Myftical Body by him 5 and alio, how this manner of rorrnu.£ ChmcheS .would fine a County, where many reconverted, and willing to *^e baptized $ but there being to Church to be baptized into, how fhalifuch a Church-ftajebegin? The firftmuft jbe baptized into no Church, and theieft in. to him as the Church, or the Work ftand iiiir for want of a Church.

Obj. But God is a Cod of Order 3 and hath ordained Order in all the Churches of Chrif! • Mud for to receive one that holds the Bsptifm he had in his Infancy y there is no Command nor Example for^ and by the- fame Rule Children will be brought in to be Church-members ?

•

Anf#* That God is a God of Order,, and and hath ordained Orders in all the Churches of Chrift,is true 5 and that this is one of the Orders to receive him that is weak in the Faith, is as true. And though there be no Example or Command, in fo many words?,,, receive fuch an one that holds the . Baptifm he had in his infancy, nor to reject men. a one 5 kit there is a Command to receive him that is weak in the Faith, wuhout limitation^ and ic is like, this might not be a doubt in thofe dayes, and fo not fpoken of in particular.

But the Lord ^provides a remedy for all times, in the Text, Him that u weak, in the Faith, receive yoft, for elfe receiving, muU not be upon the account of Sawfbif, but upon

knowing,

knowing, and doing all things according to Rule and Order, and that mult be perfectly, elfe for to deny any thing, or ro affiim too much is diforderly, and would hinder receive-ing: But the Lord deals not io with his People, but accounts L O VL the fulfilling of the Law, though they be ignorant in many things, bochas to knowing, and doing ; and receives them into Communion and fellowfhip with himfelf, and would have others do the famealfo: And if he would have (o much bearing in the Apoffclc's dayes, when they had infallible helps to expound Truths unto them, much more now,the Church hath been fo long in the Wiidernefs and in Captivity, and not that his People fhould be driven away in ths dark, day, though they are rick and weak, Ez,ekz 34- itf, 21. And that it fhculd be fuppofed fuch tendernefs would bring in Children in Age to be Church-members, yea, and Welcome, if any body could prove them in the Faith, though never lb weak} fortheTexcis, Him that is weak in the Faith, receive you : Ic is not He, and his Wife, and Children > unlefs it can be proved, they are in the Faith.

Object. By this, fome Ordinances may be loft or omitted, and is it to be fuppofed the Lord Would fuffcr any of his Ordinances to be loft or omitted in the Old or New-Teftament, cr the right nfe of them, and yet own fuch for true Churchesj and what reafon can tbsre be for

H 2 Anfw*

Anfrv. The Lord hath differed (ome Ordinances to be omitted and loft' in the Old-Teftament, and yet owned the Church. Though Circumcifion were emitted in the Wildrrnefs, yet he owned them to be his Church, Arts 7. 38. and many of the Ordinances were loft in the Captivity; See Ainf-worth upon ExoLz 8.30, &c. which mewed what the High-Pnelt was to put on, and were not to be omitted upon pain of death, as the Vnm and Thpunmim, yet being loft, and feveral other Ordinances, the Ark, with the Mercy-Scat and Cherubims, the Fire from Heaven, the Majefty and Divine Prefence, &c. yet, he owns the Second Temple, though ihort of the Firft, and filled it with his Glory, and honoured it with- his Son, being a Member and a Minifter therein. Mai. 3. 1. The Lord whom youfeek will faddcnly come to his Temple : So in the New-Teftament, fince their Wildernefs condition and great and long Captivity, there is fomedarknefsand doubts, and want of Light in the beft of the Lord's People, in many of his Ordinances, and that for feveral Ages, and yet how hath the Lord owned them for his Churches, wherein he is to have Glory and Praife throughout all tAgeSy Eph. 3.21. And fo iliouid we own them, unlefs we will condemn the Generation of the Jufl: It muft be con-fefled, That if exacl: Practice be j required, and clearnefs in Gofpel-Inftitutions before Communion j who dare be fo bold as to fay

his hands are clean, and that he hath dont all the Lord Commands, as to Inilitutions in his Worfhip ? and mult not conrefs the Change or' Times doth necelfuate feme Variation, if not Alteration either in the matter or manner of things according to primitive PradVcc, yet owned foi true Churches, and received as vihble Saints, though ignorant either wholly or in great meafure, in laying on of hands, ringing, wafhingof fcer, and anointing with oyl, in the Gifts of the Spirit, which is the Vrim and Thummim of the Gofpcl ? and 'c cannot be proved rhat the Churches wet e fo ignorant in the Primitive cimfs, nor yet thac fuch were received into Fcllowfhip •, yet now herein it is thought meet there ihould be bearing, and why not in Bapcifm, efpecially in fuch at ovfn it for an Ordinance ,though in feme things irnfs it, and do yet (hew their \o\c unto it, and unto theLoid, and unto his Law therein, that they could be wii.ing to die for it rather than to dtn\ it, and to be baptized in their blood; which fhewetryhey hold it in Confcience their duty, while they have further Light from above,and are willing ohear and obey as far as they know, though weak in the Faith, as to clearnefs in Gofpel-Infhtu-tions; furely the Text is on their hdc y or elfc it will exclude all the former, Him that u weak, in the Faith receive you, but not to doubtful dijpatations,Rom. 14. 5* Let every nan be fuily rerfwaded in his own mind; and tikh the Lord hath leceivcd.

H 3 Ai

s 18 Differences 'a font Wat er- Bapt ifm>

As to the Qjery, what reafon is there, why th< Lord fhottld ["ffer any of his Ordinances

to fa loft f

Anfw. If there were no Reafon to be fhown, it fliouid teach us (ilence, for he doth nothing without the highcft Reafon ; and there doth appear fone Reafons, in the Old Xeftament, why thofe Ordinances of Vrvm md Tbumm'.m, &c, were fiiffered to be loft in the Captivity, tint tLy might long, and look for the Lord Jefus, the. Prieft, that was to ftand up wid\ Vrlm and Th%mmlm, Ezra. 2, 6$. Neb, 7. 6 j. which the Lord by this puts them upon the hoping for, and to be in the expedition of fo £reat a mercy,which was the promife of the Qid Teftament, and all the Churches loffes in the New Teftament: By all the dark night of ignorance fhe ha:h beemn ; and Iong v C2p:ivity ilie hath been under, and in her wandering wilderncfs-fftfe, wherein ffte lia'th rather' bee a fed with Manna from hLayra, than by men upon Earth ; and after ail her crtftffcs and ioites, the Lord Je:s Light break in by degrees, and deliverance by . litdsand little ; and (lie is coming oat of the, WiUemtp leamncr tipon her Beloved ; znd the l./)rd hath given die Valley of Ale bar for a Door of H pe., rh:r e're long fhemay receive. the ' of che.G '[ot\ richly, by the S.pi-

r>r to he pouted i^pon as From on H^h, I fa. 32. 15-. and the Wifderncfs be a rrui.ful 1 Field, and the fruitful Field become a For reft,

and

no Bar to Communion. and then the Lord will take away the covering cail overall people, If a. 25.7. and the Vait that is fp cad over all Nations; I fa. n. 9. For the Earth fhali be filled with the Knot?-, ledge of the Lord, ai the Waters cover the Sea. verf. 1 3. Then Ephraim (ball not envy Judah, and Judah (lull not vex Ephraim. Thus will the God of Peace bruifc Satan undcr-fooc fhortfy -j and one Reafon why the Lord may fuffer all this Darknefs and Differences that have been, and yet are, is, thfct we might long and look for this bleffed Pro mile of the Gofpel, the pourings out of the Spirit.

Objecl. But m.rny Authors do judge, *h& the voeak^ and ftrong were all in Church-fellow-{hip before, and that the receiving rloin.l^*. was but Into mutual affetiion.

jinfiv. It ought to be ferioudy weighed how any differ from lo many worthy Authors, is confeded, to whom the World is fo much beholding for their help in many things; but it would be of dangerous conlequence to take all for granted they fay, and unlike the noble Bereans, Acls 17. 1*. Though"they bad fome infallible Teachers, yet they took not their Words or Doctrine upon trull; and there may b.e more ground to queftion Expo. fttors on this Text, in regard their Principles neceditate them to judge that the fenfe • for if it be iri their Judgments a Duty to compel all to come in, and to receive all, and their Children, they mull .needs judge by that H 4 Text,

Differences about PVater-Baptifm,

Text, they were all of the Church, and iri Fellowship, before their fcrupling Meats and Dayes, becaufe that is an Acl: of grown perr fons at years of difcretion; and therefore the receiving is judged by them to be oneiy into mutual affection, for it is impodible for them to hold their Opinion, and judge otherwife of the Text; for in'Baptifm, they judge Infants fhould be received into Church-fellowship ; and then fcrupling Meats and Dayes mult needs be after joyning. Their Judgements might as well be taken, that it ib a Duty to baptize Infants, as that they can judge of this Text rightly, and hold their practice.

Object. Bttt no uncircttmelfed Perfon was to eat the Pajfeover, Exod. 12. And doth not the Lord as wellrequirey the fignof Baptifm nox9 % as of Cireumctfion then t and is there pot like reafo* for it ?

jinfrv. The Lord, in the Old Teftamenr f exprefly commanded no uncircumcifcd Perfon fliould eat the PaiTeover, Sxod. 12. 28. and in Ez^k. 54. p. that no ftranger, uncircum-cifed in heart^r uncircumcifcd in fLfh,(hould eiuer into his Sanctuary : And had the Lord commanded, that no unbaptized Perfon fhould enter into his Churches, it had been clear: And no doubt, Chnit was as faithful as a Sen in all his Houfe, as Mofes was as a Servant; and although there had been Ji!.£ reafon, if the Lord had commanded it fo

to

to be, yet in Goal's Worftnp wc muft not make the likenefs of any thing in our reafon, but the Will of Gcd, the Ground of Duty ; for upon fuch a Foundation fome would build the baptiiing o( Infants, becaufc it would be like unto Circumcifion, and fo break the Second Commandment, in making the likenefs of things of their own contrivance, of force with Inftitutions in the Worihip of God,

The molt that I think can be faid is, Thac we have no Gofpel-Example for receiving without Baptifm, or rejecting any for wane of it: Therefoie it isdefucd, what hath been faid, may be confidered, left while we look for an Example, we do not overlook a Command upon a miftake, fuppofing that they were all in Chuich-fellowfhip before; whereas the Text faith not fo, but, Him that is weal^ in the Faith nccivt yon, or unto you.

We may fee alfo how the Lord proceeds under the Law, though he accounts thofe things chat were done contrary to his Law, finful, though done ignorantly • yet never required the Offender to offer Sacrifice till he knew thereof, Ltvit. y. y. comp. with if, & idverfes. And that may be a mans own fin through his ignorance; that though it may be anothers Duty to endeavour to inform him in, yec not thereupon to keep him out of his Farher's Houfe; for furely the Lord would not have 3ny of his Children kept out, without we haye a word for it, &nd though they

(erupts

Xp* Differences mnt Wattr-Bapttfm,

fcruple forne Meats in tjieir Fathers Houfe, yec it may be dangerous for the ftronger Children to deny them all the reft of the dainties therein, till the weak and lick can eat Ilrong Meat; whereas Peter had Meat for one, and Milk for another; and Peter muft feed the poor Lambs as well as the Sheep; and if others will not do it, the Great, Shepheard will come ere long and ipok up what hath been driven away, Ez>ckj 34. 4,11. ifa. 40.11. He will feed his Flock like a Shepheard ; he ihall gather the Lambs mto his Bofom, and gently lead thofe that are with Young.

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